The Bounty and The Beast
by lener
Summary: Inspired by The Beast Within, The Bounty and The Beast is about a villain who seeks to bring out the beast in Beast Boy permanently. Can the Titans stop him? Will Beast Boy overcome the primal evil in him? A BB x Rae romance. TBC.
1. Something Wicked

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans.

**I**

**Something Wicked**

_All warfare is based on deception._

The bright full moon hung in the dark sky, suspended over Jump City like a giant paper lantern. The night was a foggy one, and the streets were only dimly illuminated.

_Never write off your defeats. Always learn from your mistakes. Failure is the mother of success._

Hidden among an installation of buildings lay the old, abandoned research facility. A battle had been fought here, long ago, between vanity personified and a courageous group of 5 young heroes. But the dust that the battle had kicked up had settled back over the facility and it had lain undisturbed.

Until now.

_What the ancients call a skilful fighter is one who is able to see chances in situations where others see only loss._

A breath of wind rattled past the 'KEEP OUT' sign on the chain-link fence, through the half-open doors of the facility to swirl around the hem of a glossy black cape.

_Therefore the skilful fighter subdues the enemy's troops without fighting…_

The black cape covered a figure hidden in the shadows of the beams and columns of the building. The figure bent down to the ground and extended one pale, tapered finger.

_…he captures their cities without laying siege to them._

The finger gently touched the glowing green liquid on the cement floor, and a puff of neon vapor escaped into the atmosphere, dissipating as quickly as it had appeared.

"And the beast shall be unleashed. Again."

* * *

The sun rose from behind the horizon, bringing warmth and light and chasing away the vestiges of night. Every room in the Titans Tower was filled with daylight that announced a beautiful morning, every room that is, except one.

This room was dark- but then again, it was always dark. Shadows seemed to flit about the walls and ceilings, trying to escape the dancing light from the flames of candles that were set on the floor. Books- or rather, dusty tomes lay scattered around the room, some closed and others opened to random pages.

Above it all hovered a girl- a Titan. Her dark purple hair shimmered in the glow of the candles, and had her eyes been open, they would have revealed the windows to her soul- black tinted windows that seemed as though they could never be penetrated.

Now, more than ever, Raven's soul was guarded from all external disturbance. Deep in her meditative trance, she mentally scanned the areas within and surrounding the Titans Tower for any alien presences. It was something she did every morning, after her usual ritual of calming down the soul and keeping her emotions in check.

She let the familiar presences wash over her as she continued scanning. She could sense her other four teammates scattered around the Tower, and except for them the Tower was completely devoid of life form- except perhaps for Starfire's pet, Silkie. Raven's senses swept over the compound: the gym- all clear, the garage- all clear, the… wait. She'd sensed something in the kitchen. Something foreign. Raven's eyes jerked open.

She closed them again, felt for the kitchen and there it was. She could see it in her mind's eye: a large round mass of black that pulsated, red around the edges. And then as suddenly as it had appeared, it blinked out of her senses. The kitchen was in the clear.

Raven did another quick check across the whole Tower, searching for that presence, but it was nowhere to be found.

Her cloak dropped to the floor as she telekinetically snuffed out the candles and drew the curtains apart by an inch so that the morning sunlight filtered weakly into her room.

Then Raven walked out of her room and headed for the kitchen.

**o o o**

The moment the kitchen door slid open, Raven got the feeling that she should duck. So she did, and missed getting hit square in the face by a flying strip of streaky bacon.

"What the…"

The doors slid fully open to reveal the kitchen in a mess. Pieces of scrambled egg stuck to the walls and strips of bacon were flying through the air like flightless birds. The source of the chaos came from none other than the big blue and grey half-man, half-robot wrestling with a scrawny green monkey.

"Yo, B! I said get off!"

Raven watched as Cyborg grabbed Beast Boy (in monkey form) around the waist. The monkey struggled in Cyborg's grasp for about a second, then slipped away as a slithery snake. In the blink of an eye, the snake had turned back into a monkey and began terrorizing the region about Cyborg's head.

Then she cleared her throat loudly, and both Titans froze, then turned to look at her. Cyborg was holding on to Beast Boy's monkey tail, and Beast Boy had two tiny paws on Cyborg's head.

"What's going on?" Raven asked, the faintest of scowls on her face.

In a flash, Beast Boy resumed his human form and was standing next to Cyborg. He had a sheepish expression on his face.

"Yo, Raven!" Cyborg said.

"Hello, Cyborg," she returned.

"Hey Raven!" Beast Boy piped up, "We were… I was just…"

"Trying to trash my non-vegetarian breakfast," Cyborg muttered.

"Was not!" Beast Boy shot back, embarrassed.

"Was too!" Cyborg returned.

"Was not!"

"Was too!"

They ended up nose to nose, arms flailing, yelling at the top of their voices. Raven sighed, and looked around. Despite the mess, the kitchen looked perfectly normal. No sign of any intruder, and no more foreign presence.

Behind her, the door slid open and Raven turned to see Starfire enter. The Tamaranian beamed when she saw Raven.

"Raven!" she exclaimed, "you also wish to participate in the breaking of fast! Glorious!"

This comment caused Beast Boy and Cyborg to stop their fight and turn towards the girls.

"Raven's eating breakfast?" Beast Boy echoed. His eyes grew extra large.

Raven scowled. Sure, she seldom ate with the team, but they were acting as though she never ate at all!

"I came here," she told all of them, "because I sensed something… evil."

"Raven's not eating breakfast," Beast Boy's ears drooped.

"Did you say something about evil?" Robin came up behind Starfire, the towel around his shoulders indicated that he had been at the gym doing his regular morning workout.

"For the record, I sensed something in the kitchen this morning, but it's gone now," Raven said. She paused, then gazed levelly at Beast Boy, "And I _will _have breakfast."

"_Tofu_ waffles?" he challenged.

"Bring it on."

* * *

**A/N: **Some of the villain's thoughts in the beginning have been taken from the oldest military treatise in the world: "The Art of War" by SunTzu.

Also, the research facility is the same one as that in which the Teen Titans fought against Adonis in the episode titled "The Beast Within". The green liquid is the toxin that brought out the beast in Beast Boy.

Reviews?

**Next update: June 23**


	2. Secret Whispers

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans.

**II **

**Secret Whispers**

At the Operations Center of the Titans Tower, Cyborg and Beast Boy were waging a bloody battle over the GameStation XL- the very same one that Cyborg had attained right before he got sucked into 3000BC by the equalizer. Starfire had retreated to her room, as it was "the time of feeding for Silkie". Robin had caught sight of the Zorka berries she'd hidden behind her back, but he had said nothing- the tiny amount of berries would not be sufficient to mutate the creature.

Now Robin and Raven were at the coffee table. Robin glanced over at the Titan. She was staring down at the surface of the table, and seemed lost in her thoughts.

"Raven. You said you sensed something… earlier on. What was it?"

"I… don't know. I was scanning the Tower and something popped up suddenly. I've never seen anything like it before."

"Do you think it's dangerous?"

"I really don't know. But it's… different."

"Different is bad, right?"

Raven sighed. She turned away from Robin and found herself looking at Beast Boy instead. Something triggered a memory inside her…

"_Why are you always locked in your dark room, reading your nasty old books? Why do you have to be so creepy?"_

_Outside, Cyborg laid a hand on Beast Boy's shoulder. "Forget it, B. Leave her alone."_

_Raven clutched the book to her chest and sighed._

"I'm not creepy. I'm just different."

"What did you say?" Robin asked.

She blushed. Lucky for her she was turned away from him when she said that.

"Nothing."

"So…"

"I guess different is bad."

The piercing siren of the alarm screamed through the air, jolting Robin out of his seat.

"Titans, GO!"

* * *

Beast Boy loved flying. The sheer weightlessness of being was enough to take anyone's troubles away. _No wonder_, he thought, _no wonder Starfire's always so happy all the time. _Dimly he wondered why Raven was not as cheerful as their Tamaranian teammate…

Looking down, Beast Boy spotted the T-Car and the R-Cycle riding beside it. A few metres below him was Starfire in flight. Beast Boy flapped his pterodactyl wings and felt the cool air against his skin. They were heading towards the old abandoned research facility.

Beast Boy remembered the last time they had been there, fighting Adonis. The research facility had turned him into something he did not like at all. Or rather, it had not transformed him, because he had realized that the _thing _had always been inside him. And that was what freaked Beast Boy out. But now he had to face his fears about that place.

_Different time, different situation, different villain, _he reassured himself.

Below him, the T-Car and the R-Cycle swerved to the right and came to a stop amidst a row of buildings.

They were there.

The huge metal doors were half-open. Robin entered first, followed by Starfire, Raven, Cyborg and lastly Beast Boy. He felt a shudder run through his spine as he stepped into the threshold of the research facility. _Get a grip! _He told himself sternly.

**o o o**

The research facility was empty and silent. All around them resounded a soft hissing, like gas escaping from a ruptured gas pipe. The air was thick with dust motes. Robin kept walking, and the rest followed behind. Just then, a loud grating sound pierced the air.

"Look out!" Cyborg yelled.

The others turned round to see a large steel bar flying straight towards them. Before the bar could hit them, however, it was engulfed in black and telekinetically thrown to the side by Raven. The rest of the team split up: Cyborg and Starfire moved swiftly to the left, while Robin somersaulted to the right and Beast Boy darted away as a panther.

Then something came leaping out of the shadows and into the light- something that was entirely white: someone wearing a white jumpsuit and a white mask. What could be seen were two red eyes, two tiny slits for a nose and a slit for a mouth.

Raven sent objects flying at the villain, but he dodged them easily. Starfire flew out and began shooting starbolts at the figure, but he grabbed a piece of scrap metal and deflected them.

He was stopped by a flying tackle from Robin, which sent the both of them tumbling to the ground. A few powerful punches were delivered, but then Robin was sent spinning away by a powerful and well-aimed kick.

Cyborg grabbed at the villain from behind, and both of them struggled in a deathlock for a few seconds, but then the villain flipped Cyborg over as easily as if he were a toy. Cyborg crashed to the ground.

Beast Boy padded out from the shadows, snarling and snapping his panther jaws before leaping onto the villain, but the figure sent him flying across the room. Beast Boy hit a pillar and landed sprawled on the ground in human form.

Then all 4 Titans were upon the villain but he seemed to fend them off with lightning speed. Robin took a round of kicks in the stomach and was thrown into a stack of old boxes. Starfire's starbolts never hit the villain at all, and she got thrown smack into Cyborg, sending the two of them tumbling across the space. Beast Boy jumped up just in time to see Raven get flung against a pillar, landing in a heap on the floor. Just as he was about to change forms, the villain turned to him, _winked_, and ran.

Beast Boy gave chase.

**o o o**

He could see the white figure in front of him… putting on an extra burst of speed, Beast Boy took a flying leap and tackled the villain. Both of them fell to the ground. He threw a few punches- left, right, left, right, then hauled the man to his feet and pushed him against the wall.

It was only then that Beast Boy realized that the villain had not put up a fight.

"Hey, what's the deal?" he growled.

The man just smiled, his red eyes narrowing. And then he spoke. His voice sounded strangely familiar, but Beast Boy couldn't place it.

"Hello, _Beast Man_."

Beast Boy gulped. Beast Man? The last time he had used that term was when…

"Or how about… _Beast Dude_?" the man sneered.

Beast Boy slammed the man against the wall. "Who are you? What do you want?" he growled.

Suddenly, he was staring at an exact replica of himself.

"I am the beast inside of you," the man said, sounding exactly like him, and looking exactly like him. "And you're going to let me out."

"NO!" Beast Boy shouted.

Then the man morphed into Raven, and Beast Boy almost dropped his hands in disbelief.

"Knowing when to let it out is what makes you a man."

Words spoken in Raven's voice- words spoken _by _Raven herself. How did this man know what she'd said?

"Stop this! Who _are_ you?"

Again, Beast Boy found himself face to face with the replica of him.

"That thing- that _beast_- it came from inside of me," he was listening to his own words, "And it's still there. I can feel it."

Then he was looking at the white face and the red eyes.

"Can _you _feel it, Beast Boy?" the man sneered.

Beast Boy stumbled backwards. Suddenly, he could not breathe. "Get away from me!"

He fell to his knees, and when he looked up, the man was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

**A/N: **The reference to Cyborg getting sent into the past is from the episode "Cyborg the Barbarian".

The scene (in italics) that Raven recalls in her memory is from the episode titled "Spellbound".

The words that the villain were taunting Beast Boy with are from the little exchange that Beast Boy and Raven shared in the end of the episode "The Beast Within".

Reviews?

**Next Update: June 29**


	3. Haunted by the Past

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans.

A/N: In my rush to upload the previous chapter I forgot to thank all those who reviewed the first (and now second) chapter, so here it is: thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far! I think no one hates reviews, even if they're flames, so, as a Fantastic Four member always says, 'Flame on!'.

No, I'm just kidding.

Apologies for putting a week in between updates, but I'm having tests in school and the World Cup is on. But updates should be slightly quicker now.

**III**

**Haunted by the Past**

The moment his room door closed behind him, Beast Boy crumpled to the floor in human form and lay there, breathing heavily. His thoughts were spinning in his head and he felt a lump rising in his throat. He recalled the way the man ha changed effortlessly from form to form. How had the man known about the conversation between the two Titans? Beast Boy was sure the two of them had been alone that night. Did it mean that what the man had said was true? That he was somehow a part of Beast Boy? It couldn't be!

There was a knock on the door.

"Beast Boy? Are you in there?"

Beast Boy took a deep, shuddering breath and opened his bedroom door. Robin was standing at the doorway, looking as concerned as a boy in a mask could look.

"Hey… Robin."

"Are you okay? We couldn't find the man in the white suit, and it looked like you had disappeared. But Cyborg tracked your signal down and you were headed for the Tower, so we…" Robin trailed off, noticing Beast Boy's pale face. "Are you okay?" he asked again.

"Yeah… I just need… to be alone."

And with that, Beast Boy shut the door.

The sound of Robin's footsteps faded away down the corridor, and Beast Boy breathed a sigh of relief. Robin was always the first on the scene, asking questions and pressing for answers. Beast Boy just did not have the energy to face the Boy Wonder now.

There was a pounding at the door, jolting Beast Boy to his feet. He slid open the door to reveal Cyborg, who had one hand behind his back.

"Yo, B! How would _you _like a chance to beat the reigning champion in a game of Stankball? Star agreed to referee for us!" And Cyborg produced a large, steaming ball of smelly laundry. He grinned as his eyes gleamed. "You know you can't resist!"

Beast Boy forced a smile. He knew it was Cyborg's way of cheering him up. But if there was one thing he could not have now, it was fun.

"Dude… why don't you play with Star first? I… I'll think about joining you guys… later."

And for the second time, he slid the door close.

Something was definitely wrong.

He knew it, and his friends knew it. That was why they were trying so hard to get him to talk.

But they were only too predictable.

Beast Boy waited for five seconds, then opened the door on his own accord. There was Starfire in the doorway, fist poised to knock on his door.

"I was expecting you," he said dryly.

"Beast Boy!" she exclaimed, clasping her hands together in front of her, "I have agreed to referee the game of Stankball. Would you not join in the fun with Cyborg and I?"

Beast Boy sighed. "Thanks Star… but not today."

* * *

"Raven."

"What."

"Aren't you going to check if Beast Boy is all right?"

"Why should I? If he wants to be alone, we should leave him alone."

* * *

Another knock on the door, but this time Beast Boy was just the tiniest bit surprised.

He opened it to see Raven, and behind Raven, the end of Robin's cape disappeared around the corner.

"Hi." Raven said. Did she seem a little embarrassed?

"Hey," he answered.

"I wanted to leave you alone because that's what I would have wanted if I were you. But Robin asked me to come… check on you." She paused for a while. "You're alive, so I'll go now." And she turned away.

Beast Boy felt his stomach churn. He was grateful that she, of all people, had empathized with how he was feeling. Yet a part of him was glad that she'd come anyway.

Then he remembered the words of the man.

_Knowing when to let it out is what makes you a man._

"Raven?"

She stopped immediately, and turned back to look at him. He was astonished by how piercing her gaze was. He felt that she could see right through to his soul.

"Yes?"

He stared at her for a long time. Thousands of words formed in his head- questions, explanations, fears.

"N… nothing."

A look of disappointment crossed her features. Or maybe he'd imagined it, because the look was gone in a split second and Raven had disappeared around the corner, leaving him staring at an empty corridor.

* * *

"So?"

"You're right."

"He's…"

"He's not all right."

"What's wrong with him?" Robin asked.

"He's scared," Raven replied.

"Of _what_?" Cyborg pressed.

"I don't know," she answered.

"I wish to know that this fear of Beast Boy's can be overcome," Starfire seemed concerned.

"I think he's the only one who can answer that."

* * *

_I can't answer any of these questions!_

Night had fallen.

Beast Boy had stayed in his room the whole time, pacing back and forth and gritting his teeth in frustration. He was sure he had worn his fang down to a molar by now. But he still could not place the identity of the man, and the whole mystery of how the man had known about the beast.

Another thought made Beast Boy stop pacing and shiver. How much _more _did that man know about him?

_Beast Boy…_

Beast Boy stopped short. Someone had called his name. He sniffed the air, but his room smelt just like his room- no one else was in it.

"Who is it?" he called out in a shaky voice.

There was silence, and then the voice spoke again. It seemed not to be able to hear him, but all the same it was taunting him.

_Beast Boy… I'm still here…_

"Stop it! Shut up!" Beast Boy gripped the first thing he laid hands on- his bedside lamp- and threw it to the floor violently, where it shattered into pieces. The disembodied voice only laughed. He felt his knees buckled as he pressed his palms to his temples, trying to shut out the voice.

_I'm still here. Can you feel me?_

"No! Stop!" his whole body began to shudder violently.

_When are you going to let me out? When are you going to let me out? When are you going to let me out? When are you going to let me out?_

He began to change- turning first into a tiger, then a rat, then a dog, then a badger, a hawk, a snake, a deer, a frog, a gorilla, a spider, a wolf, a fox, a stallion, a walrus, a flamingo… faster and faster in a whirlwind of green until… nothing.

The night was dark, and the air cool.

The full moon was the only source of light in the sky.

Beast Boy opened his eyes.

He was standing in front of the research facility.

* * *

**A/N: **Well, no reference to past episodes in today's chapter. It's pretty short and doesn't have much interesting stuff, but that's because the action is all in the next chapter.

Reviews?

**Next Update: July 4**


	4. Hyde and Seek

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans.

**IV**

**Hyde and Seek**

The research facility lay untouched. Inside it looked as though the battle that day had never taken place.

A gust of wind from outside blew through the spacious hall, picking up bits of dirt from the floor and ruffling the fur that stood up on the back of a cat that had padded silently into the building. The cat's paws barely made a sound as they struck the cement floor- each step was taken with utmost stealth and care, as though the cat were hunting. It lifted its head into the air and sniffed.

"I knew you would come."

Snarling, the cat lowered to a crouch, its eyes darting left and right. The voice had broken the silence. It seemed to come from everywhere. The cat's muscles were tensed, and its whiskers twitched furiously.

"You couldn't resist, could you?"

The cat began to move forward into the shadows cast by large chemical containers stacked to one side of the wall.

"But you know what they say; curiosity kills the cat."

There was a movement in the shadows.

"I'm not _just _a cat."

The cat leapt out of the shadows- but it was no longer a cat. The body of a leopard had emerged from the darkness. The leopard arched gracefully in midair and landed in a slash of claws on a man who was dressed entirely in white, completed with a mask. They struggled with each other- animal against man, green against white- each trying to pin the other down.

There was a thump, and then a howl. The leopard flew through the air to land a large grizzly bear on the floor. The bear growled and advanced towards the man in white, who began to move backwards.

"Leopards and bears? Is that all you've got? I'm waiting, Beast Boy… waiting for the _real _beast…"

The bear growled, as if to say, "I'm not going there".

"No?" the slit on the mask that was the man's mouth seemed to curve upwards in a smirk, "then we'll just have to fight fire with fire." There was a second's pause, then the man charged at the bear- only he was not a man. He was a monstrous beast of large proportions, a huge mutated werewolf with rippling muscles, a wild tangled mane, sharp claws and salivating fangs.

They clashed with a loud roar- the monster used its sheer size against the bear, pushing them both into a patch of darkness. Next there was a deafening howl, and then they both emerged back into the light.

And now there were two huge beasts that looked exactly the same.

They were locked in a ferocious tackle- with a slash of claws and fangs, the green beast threw the other into the piles of chemical containers. There was a loud crash on impact, then the green beast rammed itself into its dazed opponent and launched a full-scale attack of punches.

The neon green liquid spurted out of the containers, drenching both animals in the chemical solution and bathing the entire hall an eerie shade of green. But the green beast continued pummeling its opponent further into the metal wall of containers…

**o o o**

There was a roaring in his ears.

All he saw was the monster he did not want to be, and perhaps it was because of that that he kept hitting blindly at the animal in front of him.

The green liquid (for all he knew it could have been his own blood, but he did not care) dripped down into his eyes and for a second he blinked and saw he man in white- not the beast- in front of him, badly beaten and screaming "No! No! Stop!".

But he kept on hitting, paying no attention to the cries of the man, the screaming in his head and the overpowering smell of chemical. He felt something inside him snap.

Then Beast Boy's vision went black.

* * *

He woke up, blinking the sunlight out of his eyes. He was staring at an expanse of smooth cement. 

It took a moment for Beast Boy to realize that he was lying on the floor of his room in the Titans Tower. His head was spinning, he was drenched in sweat and every part of his body ached. He let a few seconds pass, lying still. The dizziness subsided a little. Beast Boy staggered to his feet and found that his Titans uniform was hanging in tatters on his body, and in places where bare skin showed he bore bloody cuts and gashes.

_How did I get back here?_

In the back of his mind he doubted whether the fight at the research facility had really happened, but somewhere inside him he knew that it _had _happened- somehow. His body provided enough evidence. Beast Boy shuddered as another thought came into his mind. He recalled his horrific transformation in the battle against the man in white. He'd let out the beast. What was going to happen now?

_I guess I'd better tell Robin everything._

Yet something inside was telling him not to. _Just hold off telling the others yet_, it was saying. _Why must you tell Robin everything? Why can't you handle things by yourself?_ There was a certain amount of truth in that.

A sudden jolt of pain that seized his legs brought him back to the pains of reality. He needed to bathe his wounds- and cover them- as soon as possible.

Just then, an ear-splitting wail resounded throughout the Tower.

Beast Boy fell to the floor, grabbing his ears. The sudden rush of noise had reminded him of the roaring and screaming in his head during the one-on-one battle with the man in white. It was too much for him to take. Beast Boy dragged himself, on his hands and knees, towards the door of his bathroom, and wished that the screaming would subside.

**o o o**

"Titans, GO!"

But they had not gone.

The Titans alarm continued to sound as the other Titans gathered outside the door to Beast Boy's room.

"Beast Boy? Beast Boy?" Starfire called out, and rapped on the door.

"He's not coming," came Raven's dry input.

"Yo, B! Open up, man!" it was Cyborg's turn.

"Beast Boy? Are you in there?" Starfire continued calling.

It was too much for Robin. "We're wasting our time," he said impatiently, "the City needs us." He looked at the others. They did not move an inch.

"_Titans, GO_!" It was a forceful command.

A second later, Raven seeped out from the floor in a swirl of black. Robin had long gone.

Starfire looked at Cyborg.

"Do you think he will come out?" she asked.

"I don't know," he answered, "but he'd better come up with a good explanation later for Robin."

And they were off.

* * *

**A/N: **Hmm…is it the first time Beast Boy has missed an alarm? 

The beast-form that the man in white and Beast Boy turn into is the same beast that Beast Boy turns into in the episode 'The Beast Within'. If you want to see how it looks like, you can go to 'Titansgo' (dot net) and access the 'Screenshots' from that episode.

Also, I've reorganised the page divisions so that there are less lines breaks, or whatever you call them. The lines only appear when there is a change in situation, time or setting.

Once again, thanks to those who reviewed the last chapter. I appreciate the feedback!

**Next Update: July 8**


	5. Questions and Answers

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans.

**V**

**Questions and Answers**

The ride back to the Titans Tower was uncomfortably and unusually long for Raven, and as she sat next to Cyborg in the T-Car she tried to listen to her teammate's analysis instead of drifting off into her own thoughts. She turned to Cyborg to see him laugh as he turned the wheel (a little too recklessly) and swerved the car to the right.

"I mean that Gizmo? His gadgets are _light years_ from this millennium! Did you see the way my sonic cannon fried them all?" And then the trademark, "Booyah! Hah!"

Raven opted for a forced smile, but found that it was well out of her ability, so she settled for a blank stare out of the windscreen. Beside her Cyborg stole a glance at his passenger as the T-Car rounded a bend.

"You thinking about Beast Boy?" the half-man, half-robot asked.

Raven kept quiet, and Cyborg continued.

With Raven, silence very often meant consent; if she wanted you to shut up, she would not hesitate in telling you straightaway.

"Don't worry, man. I'm sure he has a pretty good explanation. It's not like BB to miss the alarm. It must be something big."

Raven let out her breath in a sigh that was louder than what she'd planned on. There was a second's pause.

"You're not the only one who's worried."

Raven knew Cyborg was right. He was driving even more recklessly than usual, and he kept on tapping the steering wheel with his fingers.

* * *

Once back at the Titans Tower, the others did not need to wait for Robin to call them all together- they silently followed the Boy Wonder's rigid form through the doors of the building and up the stairs to Beast Boy's room in single file. 

Behind Robin was Starfire, nervous and scared, but concerned about the well being of her friend. Following Starfire was an unusually contemplative Cyborg, who was wondering how best to protect his buddy from the wrath of their leader. Last in line was Raven, observing all. She noted the seething anger that steamed from Robin. Even the ends of his cape seemed to swirl furiously behind him.

They came to a stop outside Beast Boy's door.

The others gathered around Robin as he knocked once, twice and a third time. Just as he was about to knock for the fourth time, the door slid open and Beast Boy's face popped out.

"Oh, er… hi, guys!" he said, smiling weakly.

Robin, Cyborg and Raven did not smile back, and when Starfire saw this, she retracted her smile uneasily.

"Beast Boy, what's going on?" Robin got the first word in.

"What do you mean?" their green teammate evaded the question.

"You missed the alarm," came the curt reply.

"Oh… that. Yeah… I uh… had a little accident."

"An accident?" Starfire exclaimed, "Are you hurt?" She tried to peer into his room to see, and received a look from Robin that was nothing short of ungrateful.

Beast Boy seemed to have got a little more confident now that someone had expressed some form of concern. "Yes," he said, lifting his chin slightly, "I cut myself and had to clean up."

"What were you doing _exactly_?" Robin pressed.

"I was… uh… rearranging the furniture in my room!"

"Dude! You missed the Titans alarm because you were _re-decorating your room_?" Cyborg went bug-eyed.

"Yes," came the reply.

"This is not acceptable behaviour for a Titan, Beast Boy."

Raven sensed a change in the air immediately after Robin's reprimand. There seemed to be wild anger and rebellion, and another force of reason and calm that was holding the former in check. And all this was coming from Beast Boy.

Then the anger broke loose.

"And _who _are you to tell me what's acceptable or not, Robin? You're not my father and I'm sick of hearing you tell me what to do!" Beast Boy snarled.

He was saved the repercussions of Robin's response, however, because right after his outburst he grabbed his head in his hands and moaned in genuine pain.

"Beast Boy!" It was Starfire who took action. "You are not yourself!" She forced open the door and seized hold of Beast Boy's hands, but gasped and released her grip on them when the green Titan let out a shout of pain. Beast Boy grabbed the doorframe to support himself as Starfire lifted her hands up into the light to reveal light streaks of red against her slightly orange skin. "You are bleeding!" she could not conceal the fear in her voice.

"Robin- B's really injured," Cyborg's eyes were trained on his teammate's weak frame.

Robin clenched his fists and took a deep breath. Then rationality took over anger and he turned to Raven. "Can you do something?"

Raven looked at Beast Boy, and suddenly she felt her heart lurch. He looked so pitiful standing against the doorway. Then as soon as the feeling had appeared, she pushed it out of her thoughts and cleared her mind. "I could ease his pain- calm him down- just a little. But whatever wounds he has need to be treated," she said, stepping past Robin and towards Beast Boy.

Raising a hand in Beast Boy's direction, Raven closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

The others watched as Beast Boy's tensed face relaxed by a fraction. His hold on the doorframe slipped slightly, and Raven quickly stepped forward so that he was slumped on her left shoulder. Gently, she put an arm around his waist (the fabric of his uniform was damp with blood and sweat) and shifted his body weight to hers.

"All right," Robin said, trying to get control of the situation, "Starfire, Cyborg and I will be at the Operations Center. Raven, you handle Beast Boy's wounds and let him get some rest."

Raven began moving Beast Boy off in the direction of the infirmary.

"This isn't over yet!" Robin called to the retreating form of Beast Boy. Starfire put a hand on the Boy Wonder's shoulder, as though afraid he might run after Raven and Beast Boy and do anything else. "I want you in the Operations Center once you've rested- we all need to talk."

"You can shout all you want," Raven's dry voice carried over to them, "he's asleep."

* * *

"_Hello," the Beast said to the Boy._

"_You're not supposed to be here," the Boy said._

"_That isn't a polite greeting," said the Beast._

"_Get lost!" the Boy shouted._

"_I won't," said the Beast, and sat down next to the Boy._

_The Boy kept quiet._

_The Beast was looking at the Boy._

"_What do you want?" the Boy asked, angrily._

"_Nothing." The Beast smiled._

"_I don't believe you," the boy retorted. "What do you want?"_

"_I want," the Beast said, "to stay."_

* * *

Beast Boy's eyelids fluttered open. The world was hazy. It was black and purple and dark blue and there was a deep, melodious rumbling somewhere in the distance. Beast Boy felt something cool against his skin. 

"You can't…" he mumbled. His lips felt dry.

"You can't… stay."

* * *

**A/N: **Not the most exciting of chapters, but at least Raven and Beast Boyhavesome time together. Hah. I think I made Robin a little meaner than he actually is.

Many thanks to the few who reviewed! I've taken your feedback and decided to lengthen the chapters, so the next few chapters will have more content in them. (This chapter was pre-written and I didn't want to make amendments to it.)

Also, I've thought about 'fluff', which I'm quite bad at writing, and I realised that I have a little problem with imagining Beast Boy and Raven in a 'fluff-y' situation, which is pretty much because they are animated and kind of... young. And I sort of fancy a very light (but never fear- romantic) relationship which I will do my utmost best to establish.

This is an answer directed to Balkoth about the timeline of the story: I didn't really think about that, but after your review I thought it over and decided that it is definitely after the episode 'The Beast Within' and after the entire of Season 4 of the Teen Titans, but because I haven't watched Season 5 and know nothing about what happens, this story is set before Season 5. There's your answer, and I hope you'll be able to picture the story better now that you know.

Anymore feedback or comments? You know what to do.

**Next Update: July 12**


	6. This Anger

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans.

**VI**

**This Anger**

It began with a fluttering of the eyelids. A few seconds later, Beast Boy felt something like a mixture of relief and strength wash over him. There was a slight pressure on certain parts of his body, but the screaming in his head had gone now. Feeling something soothingly cool being pressed against his abdomen, he opened his eyes.

There was Raven, with her hood off, putting salve on one of his cuts with total concentration and focus. Beast Boy studied her face, and found that there was a gentleness in it that he'd never though Raven capable of. Her dark hair, which he'd always thought would be limp, was strong and shiny and now, as she bent closer to him, her hair fell to cover her face.

Just then, as though she'd sensed something, she glanced up and their eyes met.

"Hi," Beast Boy managed a weak greeting.

"You're awake." She studied his face, then turned around abruptly and busied herself with some things on a metal trolley. Beast Boy looked around the infirmary and spotted his uniform top folded neatly and lying on the white counter. When Raven turned back to face him, she had a roll of gauze in her hands. "I healed most of the shallow cuts and grazes," she explained to him, "but there are some that I couldn't heal."

There was a pause, and Beast Boy looked at Raven. She seemed lost in a train of thought. There was a faraway look in her eyes. Then she looked at him and said, almost apologetically, "I'm afraid I'm not much of a great doctor."

As she said those words, his memory stirred up an image that he had tucked away in a secure place in his mind. It was coming back to him now; the faint, giddy scent of spice that lingered over her, and the nearness of her filled his head. He remembered the sudden glow that had engulfed his leg, and how fast the pain had vanished.

"_Who knew we had a doctor in the house?" he smiled, "Thanks."_

_Had she blushed, just a little? _

"_No problem," Raven replied._

He'd remembered thinking at that time:_ Well, it was better than nothing. _

Beast Boy smiled his first smile in a long while, "I think you're the best doctor in the house."

Raven lunged for the surgical tape and avoided his gaze. "I… I'm just going to cover up the last cut," she explained.

He watched as she measured out a length of the bandage and began to cut up some tape.

Her hands were cold but careful, and Beast Boy closed his eyes.

He let the silence fill his ears until he felt ready to speak.

"I'm sorry… about what I did earlier."

**o o o**

She turned to look at him, but his eyes were shut. Raven pressed the bandage onto the cut, and as she looked down she noticed that Beast Boy had very smooth skin.

"Robin's the one who needs to hear that. The rest of them are just… concerned," she told him.

"What about you?"

"What _about _me?"

"What are _you _feeling, Raven?" There was a sudden hardness in his tone, and his eyes narrowed slightly. He pushed himself into a sitting position, as though getting ready to confront her. A tense silence hung about the room, but only for a moment.

"I'm curious," Raven said, gazing levelly at Beast Boy, "I want to know how you got these cuts because I don't think you got them from redecorating your room."

Beast Boy broke his gaze by turning away.

"I… It was that day… at the research facility, when I ran after the man in white..."

"You ran after him, and he did this to you?"

**o o o**

"_He cannot lie!" the Boy shouted._

"_He can do whatever the hell he likes," the Beast smiled._

**o o o **

"… No."

He couldn't lie. Not to Raven.

"Then _who _did this to you, Beast Boy?"

"Please… don't be like Robin."

"I'm only asking it for your own good, Beast Boy. Robin wants you in the Operations Center later tonight and if you don't give him some answers–"

"I'LL ANSWER HIM WHENEVER I WANT!" he shouted, swinging his legs over the side of the bed as he struggled to get up. Raven stepped back. The tinny echo of his shout reverberated throughout the room.

_You sound like a child_, said a voice in his head.

"This anger isn't you, Beast Boy," Raven said softly, gently.

**o o o**

But Beast Boy met her with a steely gaze.

"You're not the only one with anger in you, Raven," he said, standing up so that they were face to face.

"At least I can control my temper," she said through gritted teeth.

He walked past her and picked up his shirt, but did not put it on. "Tell Robin he won't be seeing me tonight."

"Beast Boy–"

"Leave me alone, Raven. Just _leave me alone_."

The doors to the infirmary slid open, and as Beast Boy stepped out, Cyborg came walking towards the doors.

"I heard a shout- is everything okay?"

Beast Boy brushed past Cyborg and kept on walking.

"B?"

Cyborg turned to Raven for answers, but all she could do was shake her head.

* * *

"Please, this is not the Beast Boy we know. Something must have happened to our friend."

"Starfire's right," Cyborg said, "Beast Boy's hiding something, and whatever it is, it probably isn't good."

"But what is he hiding? And how did he get those wounds?" Robin paced past the other three Titans.

"All right, let's stop and trace back. Since when did Beast Boy start acting strange?" Cyborg tapped on the table to emphasize his point.

"I have the feeling it was after our last battle…" Starfire began.

"At the research facility," Robin finished. "The research facility… that was where we fought Adonis…"

Cyborg turned sharply to look at the Boy Wonder, "You mean you think it's something to do with those chemicals?"

"Beast Boy was nowhere _near _those chemicals," Raven finally spoke up. Only Robin detected the slight edge in her voice.

"Please," said Starfire, her eyes wide at the prospect, "are we saying that the scary evil beast as taken over our friend? Again?"

"The scary evil beast _is _Beast Boy," said Raven, making Starfire's eyes go even wider.

Robin shot Raven a look, which either she did not catch or, more likely she pretended not to, and said to Starfire, "Beast Boy's behaviour does seem to correspond with the way he acted the last time he got infected by those chemicals. We've got to keep a close watch on him in case he does any harm."

"But he hasn't turned into the beast." This low protest came from Raven.

"He hasn't turned into the beast _yet_."

Raven stood up after Robin's remark and soundlessly made her way to the door that led out of the Operations Center.

"Raven, where are you going? We aren't done yet. We still need to talk to Beast Boy," Robin called out to her.

"You aren't done, but I am," she turned to go, "and I wouldn't count on Beast Boy appearing anytime soon."

* * *

**A/N: **The first few sections are horribly written but I think it gets a bit better towards the end.

The scene that Beast Boy recalls is from the episode 'Final Exam', when Raven healed his injured leg.

Thanks to those who reviewed! Umm… action is promised in the next chapter! Again, apologies (especially to Overactive Mind) for the length of this chapter- but I promise (again) that the next chapters will be longer because I have written them so.

Also, a humbleappeal: if you are reading this fic NOT for the first time and you haven't reviewed, I'd really appreciate it if you took the time to just make some comment about the story so that I know what the general feeling is. Thanks!

**Next Update: July 17**


	7. Thief in the Night

**A/N: **Sorry for the one day delay in uploading the chapter! I was very, very busy. Anyway, here it is and I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans. 

**VII **

**Thief in the Night**

The growling in his stomach awoke Beast Boy, and he found himself lying on his bed. He had been asleep all this while. His room was dark, and the broken lamp still lay in pieces about the floor, evidence of the terror he'd gone through.

Driven by his hunger, Beast Boy made his way to the room door and found, to his surprise, that most of his wounds did not hurt excruciatingly anymore. The door slid open to reveal a dark corridor. The Tower was quiet, and as Beast Boy made his way to the kitchen, he hoped that he would not wake up any of his teammates.

**o o o**

The door to the kitchen slid noiselessly open, and Beast Boy padded over to the fridge. He gripped the handle and pulled open the fridge door.

The moment his gaze fell on the eggs in the egg holder, he felt a sudden desire to consume them. Horror overwhelmed him, and Beast Boy pulled his eyes from the sight, but ended up staring at a packet of streaky bacon. A wave of nausea washed over him and he grabbed at a bowl of cold tofu, slammed the fridge door shut and all but dashed to the counter. Breathing heavily, he scooped up a spoonful of tofu and forced it into his mouth. Yet somehow, as he chewed, the vision of the eggs and the bacon- and even now a picture of him gorging on meat flashed before his eyes- there was no stopping the lump that rose to his throat and collided with the food that he was trying so desperately to swallow.

Beast Boy clutched at the counter top and retched, his head pitching forward.

He stumbled out of the kitchen with the sole thought of getting back to his room on his mind, and the moment the door closed behind him he sank to his knees, suppressing a sob that threatened to tear its way out of his mouth. Beast Boy squeezed his eyes shut, and felt unwanted tears leak down the sides of his face.

When he next opened his eyes, he was standing on an empty street in the heart of Jump City. Facing him was a brick wall building, and in the darkness he could just make out the words 'Gem and Dimes'.

It was a jewelry store.

Some innate force propelled him forwards, and, assuming the form of a cat, Beast Boy crossed the empty street, making his way ever closer to the large glass windows of the store. Something inside the store seemed to be exerting a pull on him, one from which he could not bring himself to break.

And he had never been clearer about what to do.

**o o o**

The green lizard scuttered across the huge expanse of glass that, in the daytime, looked in on the many splendid jewels on display in 'Gems and Dimes'. It made its way slowly but surely up the glass window and towards the gleaming white box that was fixed to the wall, almost hidden from view by the gentle sloping roof of the store. This box concealed an alarm that, once triggered, would alert not only Jump City's vigilant police force but also their famous crime-fighting teenage superheroes, the Teen Titans.

Never once losing its grip, the lizard climbed the side of the box until it reached the top, whereupon it became an elongated, slithery green electric eel that, in seconds had wrapped the entire length of its body around the alarm. A hiss of sparks broke through the silence, then dissolved into the hush of the night with little more than a whisper. The alarm crackled into a quiet death as the eel slipped away and fell towards the ground.

Before it hit the floor, it morphed into a monstrosity of a beast with sharp claws, rippling muscles and a wild tangled mane. With a loud smash, the glass window came down, but no wail of an alarm rang through the air. Tiny glass pieces shattered upon impact and rained onto the floor as the beast leapt into the store.

Its sharp claws tore at the carpet as it landed, pulling up bits of wool and cotton.

The beast stopped in the middle of the store and slowly scanned the displays of valuables, as though choosing which to take. When it finally seemed to have made its choice, it loped towards a wooden stand and easily knocked over the thick glass that protected the large diamond on the stand. The glass casing descended to the floor with a crash, once again sending shards of glass all over the floor. The beast extracted the diamond with its claws and then, with a leap and a bound, it had cleared the floor length of the store.

The beast cast one last look back at the jewelry store, then darted off into the night, its dark green fur melting easily into the shadows that lived in the nearby alley.

* * *

"Nothing better than starting the day with a great breakfast of bacon and eggs. Made by the Master Chef himself!" Cyborg flipped the two sunny side ups expertly out of the pan and whipped out a plate (already containing four strips of bacon) to catch the eggs, which landed neatly on the porcelain surface. He then pushed the plate to Robin, who piped a quick "Thanks, Cyborg!" and began to tuck into the food. 

Cyborg leaned against the counter and looked at Starfire, who was slowly consuming the contents of the plate that he'd handed to her earlier on.

"How's the chow, Star?" Cyborg asked.

Starfire finished chewing and swallowed, then smiled one of her sweet smiles. "It is good," she said, "but I prefer the pancakes of Raven's making. They are just like the incinerated glorka roaches of my home world!"

Next to Starfire, head buried in a book, Raven allowed herself a small smile. On the table in front of her sat a mug of steaming herbal tea.

"Whoa," a voice croaked out from the direction of the entrance to the kitchen, "what's everyone doing up so early?" It was Beast Boy, standing in the doorway.

Raven was the first to look up, but she said nothing and went back to reading. Robin stopped eating and watched as Beast Boy made his way to the counter where they were. Robin was just about to open his mouth when Starfire interrupted him. "Good morning, Beast Boy!" she said brightly, and then, very secretly, gave Robin a Look that made the Boy Wonder mumble a 'Good morning' and then go back to his breakfast.

Cyborg was just settling down at the counter with his plate of food. Picking up his fork and knife, he said, "We're up bright and early today because there's nothing like getting up before sunrise and eating a-"

He did not get to finish his sentence because at that moment the alarm sounded throughout the Tower.

"Aw man!" Cyborg slammed his utensils down on the counter in frustration.

"Titans, GO!"

* * *

Two police cars pulled up at the side of the road just as the Titans reached the scene of the crime.

"'Gems and Dimes'?" Cyborg read the sign. They surveyed the shattered window and the bits of broken glass that spewed out onto the street.

"Titans!" the five turned to see a middle-aged man with graying hair walk up to them. He was dressed in the dark blue police uniform. This was Inspector Howard, who was on every major crime busting case in Jump City.

"Inspector." Robin extended his hand for the preliminary handshake.

"What happened?" Cyborg asked as they turned back to look at the store. Inspector Howard motioned for them to follow him and they crossed the street, which other police officers were beginning to cordon off.

"The robbery happened last night," the Inspector said.

"Last night? But our alarm didn't go off," Robin said.

"That's because whoever did this somehow disabled the store's alarm system so it couldn't reach your tower at all," the Inspector lifted the yellow and black tape that extended across the doorway of the store.

The Titans stepped inside.

**o o o**

Beast Boy's heart was pounding so hard he felt that any minute it would jump out of his chest from sheer terror. There was not a doubt in his mind that he had been here last night, that he had been the one to rob the store.

He could hardly breathe. What if the others found out it was him?

"Can you find some clue as to who could have done this?" he heard Inspector Howard ask Robin. The Titans then split up and began scouring the store. Raven went to the counter and looked around the area where the cash register was. Robin disappeared somewhere to the back of the store. Cyborg was scanning the floor for any clues, and Starfire was at the window that had been broken in. Beast Boy, however, stood rooted to the spot.

He stared up at a wooden stand whose base was surrounded by glass. He remembered smashing the glass with his very own hands…

Beast Boy blinked hard, trying to push the memory out of his mind.

Inspector Howard came over to him, "Yep, this is what was stolen," the Inspector said, "it's a large diamond- very rare because it's carat weight was over 100, according to the owner of the jewelry store."

"Friends!" there came a shout from Starfire, "I believe I have found something!"

In a flash, the others gathered round their teammate. Beast Boy came last, dragging his feet and dreading what he would see. Starfire pointed to a spot on the carpeted floor just beneath the broken window, and Beast Boy saw an all too familiar claw mark that had scraped right through the carpet. There was a sickly feeling in his stomach.

He felt the Inspector come up behind him.

"It looks like the person who robbed the store was a _beast _of some sort…"

There was no hiding the bewilderment in the police inspector's voice.

* * *

**A/N: **No reference to previous episodes. Inspector Howard is an original creation, but really of no importance. 

Thanks to new reviewers like **yosei11**, **Blues59**, **Chrosis **and **VeelaChic**! And much thanks to the regular reviewers, you know who you are! I'd like to apologise for making an error in the previous chapter- I didn't place a line to divide the page at a certain point, which is why **Balkoth**, you pointed out that the transition was weird. Well, I've remedied the situation and I just thought I'd let you all know even if you don't go back and read the chapter.

I'm really glad that most of you are enjoying the fic, though now there is a slight pressure since all of you are such careful readers and very devoted to the Teen Titans show.

**Next Update: July 22**


	8. A Plan

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans.

**VIII **

**A Plan**

Beast Boy's heart plummeted to the region somewhere near his stomach.

"A beast…" Starfire echoed.

They would find out now, surely they would!

"Or these marks could have just as easily been made by some sort of sharp weapon," said Robin, bending down to get a closer look at the marks.

Beast Boy's head snapped up and he stared in utter amazement at Robin. Those were definitely claw marks- _his_ claw marks, and the Titans had seen these claw marks before. What was going on?

"I'm thinking our usual suspects," Cyborg put in. Both human eye and red lens were trained on the floor. Shocked into silence, Beast Boy could just about muster enough energy to stand where he was and that was it.

"Can you be sure?" the Inspector asked.

"We have a database," said Raven in her low drawl, speaking of their computer files containing all the information about every villain they'd ever fought. These were stored in the Operations Center back at the Tower.

"It's too large to store in my systems so we've got to go back to the Tower to run a check," Cyborg explained to the Inspector, who nodded.

"We _will _get back to you on this, Sir," Robin added.

Inspector Howard led them back out into the street via the main entrance of the store. Robin was up in front talking to the inspector, and behind him trailed Starfire, Cyborg, Raven and Beast Boy, whose mind was in turmoil. _They must know that I did it_, he thought, _they can't be that blind!_ Robin headed towards the R-Cycle, while Cyborg, Starfire and Raven headed towards the T-Car. Beast Boy stepped off the curb to follow the others, then on impulse turned back and caught the eye of the Inspector. The Inspector smiled- a movement of his lips that spoke of trust in the heroes to find out who had conducted the heist. Feeling the blood rush to his cheeks, Beast Boy turned away and jogged towards the T-Car.

**o o o**

The moment the engine revved and the car pulled out onto the main street with the R-Cycle zooming parallel beside it, Beast Boy braced himself for the confrontation.

The inside of the car was silent.

How would they start? Would Cyborg carefully bring up the issue of how familiar the claw marks looked? Or would they wait till they got back to the Tower to deal with him? The multitude of questions flooded his brain.

Still, the inside of the car was silent.

_Just do it_, he silently urged them, _don't keep me waiting_.

It was Raven who spoke first. Sitting next to him in the backseat, she was the person he had least expected would start the conversation.

"So… who do you think it was?" the question was directed in everyone in the car.

It was a weird question, but Beast Boy was sure they would get around to accusing him soon.

"I'm kinda thinking Mundo. I mean, that alarm trick? Could only have been pulled off by a magician," Cyborg spoke up from the drivers seat as he turned the Car to the right. Beside the vehicle, the R-Cycle was a flash of red.

_What? They're not suspecting me? _Beast Boy thought.

"I do not think it was the Mundo," Starfire, sitting in the front seat, voiced her opinion, "this robbery must have been the work of someone more… evil. Perhaps it was Slade."

_Slade? Now they're accusing Slade? _Beast Boy had not found his voice.

"Slade? We haven't seen much of him these days," Cyborg commented.

"Just like him to spring a surprise on us," Raven replied.

"And what do you think, Beast Boy?" Starfire's question startled him so much that he jumped in his seat. Feeling Raven's gaze on him, Beast Boy opened his mouth and let out a stutter.

"I… uh… yeah… Slade… yeah," he finished lamely.

"We'll know what else the Inspector said to Robin when we get back," Cyborg said, and that was the end of the conversation. Beast Boy let out a sigh and slumped against the seat as the T-Car sped past buildings, heading straight for the Titans Tower. He could not believe his luck. His teammates seemed to have completely forgotten the fact that he was capable of turning into an evil, monstrous beast.

Then Raven turned to him.

_Uh oh, _Beast Boy's heart skipped a beat.

But all she said was "Are you feeling okay?". It was a low whisper, which Cyborg and Starfire did not hear.

Beast Boy hesitated a fraction of a second. Then: "Yeah. Yeah… I'm fine."

* * *

"What are we going to do? We cannot keep on hiding the truth from the police," Starfire said, keeping one eye trained on the door leading to the Operations Center.

"We won't. We're taking matters into our own hands," Robin replied, slamming a fist into his open palm.

The minute the Titans had got back to the Tower, Beast Boy had escaped to his room on the pretext that he needed some rest because his wounds were hurting. The others had acquiesced, secretly glad, and were now gathered in the Ops Center.

"And how exactly are we going to take matters into our own hands?" Raven asked, barely keeping the cynicism out of her voice.

"If Beast Boy has been infected by the chemicals and if he _did _steal the diamond from the jewelry store, then he's capable of doing more and we've got to stop him," Robin said.

"You sure you don't want to run this by him, Robin?" Cyborg seemed to have a few doubts.

"You saw how he reacted the last time. If we told him about our suspicions he would only deny them and the last thing we want is for him to be wary of us," Robin said emphatically.

"It does not seem fair to Beast Boy," Starfire said sadly.

"We can't afford to be fair, Starfire," Robin replied, "We've got to be _effective_. Beast Boy is a threat to the City, and if we don't stop him he might end up hurting innocent people."

"How do you know for _sure _that it's Beast Boy? Shouldn't you at least give him the benefit of the doubt?" Raven deep eyes found Robin's.

"Perhaps we should not be jumping to the conclusion, Robin," Starfire spoke up, glancing at Robin uneasily.

"Fine. But might I remind you that while we're sitting here giving him the benefit of the doubt, he's still capable of planning to commit more crimes. And he won't be stopped until we can find out what's going on." Robin stopped pacing and stood facing Cyborg, Raven and Starfire. He seemed to be having a hard time keeping his annoyance in check.

"Then let's find out what's going on," Raven said.

"You got a plan?" Cyborg asked.

* * *

"_Why did you do that?" the Boy asked the Beast furiously._

"_Because it was fun. Because I've always wanted to do something like that. Because," said the Beast, "you told me to."_

"_I did not!" the Boy shouted._

"_Yes, you did." The Beast was calm._

"_Prove it," the Boy demanded._

"_You are me, and I am you," The Beast said._

"_No," the Boy said, "No, no, no."_

* * *

"Yes," said Raven, "I have."

"Please," said Starfire, "what is the plan?"

"If the robbery was committed at night, then Beast Boy must have left the Tower during the night and made his way to the City. The only way to find out if he's the one doing this is to keep watch outside his door to see if he leaves. And when he does, we follow. If he doesn't leave, then he's not guilty."

"You mean spying?" Cyborg asked.

"You can call it that."

"But we cannot let Beast Boy catch us doing the spying," Starfire pointed out.

"I think I can install a nifty camera in the corridor, then we can see whether BB leaves his room or not," Cyborg grinned.

"Glorious!" Starfire smiled.

"Now who's up for a snack? How about some pizza, Star?" Cyborg made for the kitchen.

"With pickles, bananas and mint frosting?" the alien clasped her hands together as she leapt out of her seat.

"Uh… how about mustard?"

"Glorious!" she followed the half-man, half-robot Titan out of the Operations Center, leaving Raven and Robin alone.

Robin was still standing up, and now he looked over at Raven, who had produced a book seemingly out of nowhere and was reading it. Her dark hair shone in the afternoon sunlight that filtered in through the huge windows that overlooked the bay.

"Is it good enough for you?" she suddenly asked, without taking her eyes off the book. She was referring to her plan.

Robin was quiet for a moment, then, "Yes."

Raven allowed herself a brief smile.

There was silence as Robin looked out of the window. He seemed to be contemplating something.

"Raven…"

"I know what I'm doing, Robin."

And somehow he knew that she'd read his mind.

* * *

"_Don't do it again," said the Boy, "don't _ever _do it again."_

"_I'm afraid that's impossible," the Beast replied._

_The Boy looked away, tears coming to his eyes._

"_When?" he asked._

"_Tonight."_

* * *

**A/N: **Man, all you readers are great! I really, really appreciate the reviews and as it is, I've been getting many questions about why Beast Boy would want to steal diamonds, how the chemical is affecting him this time, why Beast Boy would want to steal anyway etc. And, as a magician never reveals his tricks, I will say nothing in reply to those questions except this:

I have crafted this plot and it is not as clear-cut as it seems now. The reasons will be explained in later chapters and hopefully it will dawn on you. There will be a twist (Or twists? Haven't thought of the multiple yet…) somewhere in the end so don't hold on too hard to your assumptions! The only clue I will give is this: everything can be seen in the first sentence of the whole story.

Because I'm feeling nice, I would like to once again thank the following who read and reviewed:

**Balkoth** (always the first) 

**AureliusXsoul**

**yosei11**

**TTFAN**

**Overactive Mind**

**XObaby05Ox**

**acosta perez jose Ramiro**

I hope you enjoyed this chapter and feel the desire to review it. Till the next update, then!

**Next Update: July 26**


	9. Square One

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans.

**IX**

**Square One**

Outside, the sun was retreating to a point somewhere below the horizon, and leaving in its wake swirls of clouds dyed a soft lilac and light ginger. This iridescent display of colour was reflected by the dancing waves that surrounded the Titans Tower. Inside, the corridors were beginning to darken, and one by one the energy saving lights that Cyborg had installed automatically switched themselves on. It was not unusual to find the Titans gathered in the Operations Center at this time of the day, but instead of using the facilities for entertainment (in the form of a Beast Boy-rented movie or newly Cyborg-acquired video game), the Titans were gathered around the coffee table, their eyes glued to the large piece of paper that lay on the table top.

The paper contained a crude drawing of a stick figure with a large head, on which were drawn two slits for eyes and a longer slit- almost a gash- for a mouth.

"Uh… what exactly are we looking at?" Beast Boy asked. He turned his head and tried to look at the drawing from every possible angle.

"It's a drawing of the person we fought that day in the research facility… the man in white," Robin explained, hands on hips.

The dark cloud of ignorance seemed to lift itself from Beast Boy's face. "Dude…," he breathed, "who _drew _this thing?"

Starfire let out a giggle, which was _just_ loud enough to render silent the tiniest of laughs that Raven had failed to suppress. Heart beating just a little faster than normal, the dark-haired Titan looked around, hoping that no one had heard her laugh at Beast Boy's comment.

"I think it's pretty accurate," Robin said to Beast Boy, snubbed.

"Is that all we got?" Cyborg asked, "just a picture of the guy?"

"Unfortunately this is as far as we get with visuals. Without any further information we can't get an ID on this villain. What I need is for us to recall if he had any special powers or weapons which he used while we were fighting him," Robin said. He picked up a marker pen from the table and waved it in the air as he spoke.

Starfire was the first to contribute. "He is, like me, much stronger than he looks," she said.

Robin nodded and uncapped the marker, then wrote in huge block letters beneath his drawing the words 'Super strength'. He did not stop there. Beneath the word he wrote '_Kungfu_'. "He definitely knows his martial arts," their leader explained.

Raven waited until she was sure no one else was going to say anything. Then, "He's telekinetic."

The Titans turned to stare at her.

* * *

Night had fallen. The Titans had long dispersed and now the Operations Center lay dark, silent and empty. At sometime close to eleven o'clock, the doors to Robin, Starfire and Raven's rooms slid noiselessly open and the three Titans made their way, on tiptoe, to Cyborg's room. They did not have to knock on the door because the moment they reached its threshold, it slid open for them to enter, which they did with much speed and very little clamor.

In Cyborg's room, a large flat-panel computer screen had been set up- behind it was a complicated tangle of plugs and wires that only Cyborg could have possibly understood. As the door slid shut behind the other three Titans, the screen flickered to life, and they turned to look at it.

"It's what the camera picks up," Cyborg told them, tapping the top of the screen gently. There was a note of pride in his voice. The others leaned in for a closer look, and sure enough they could see the little space of corridor that led up to Beast Boy's room framed clearly on the screen.

"Good. We'll monitor him from here," Robin nodded.

"And guess what else I got!" Cyborg added, holding up a tiny circular grey device triumphantly. When he was met with three blank stares, he exhaled and began to explain further, "It's an earpiece. If Beast Boy leaves his room, we send one of us to talk to him, but _all_ of us can listen."

"Please," said Starfire, looking uncertain, "is that not called eavesdropping?"

"It's a good kind of eavesdropping. We all need to know what Beast Boy's up to, then we can help him," Robin said as Raven took the piece from Cyborg's outstretched palm. "Raven…" he began, but the girl merely looked at him.

"I'm an empath," she said, "I can tell if he's lying."

**o o o**

It was an hour after they'd settled down comfortably in Cyborg's room before any real action began, and by that time Starfire's sleepy head had gone to rest against Robin's shoulder and Cyborg had plugged himself in so that he could recharge while they waited. Robin and Raven seemed to be the only ones fully awake: Raven kept both eyes fixed on the screen, and while sometimes Robin glanced over at her, she never once returned his looks.

Then…

Raven squinted at the screen as a slight movement on it caught her eye. Before she could open her mouth to say anything, Robin beat her to it, "Cyborg."

The half-man half-robot opened his eyes and, after a quick glance at the screen, remarked, "It's him all right."

Nudging Starfire awake gently, Robin turned to the screen in time to see the door to Beast Boy's room slide back close. The figure that stood in the doorway was half hidden in the shadows, but when he stepped out of the room and into the dimly illuminated corridor, there was no mistaking their green skinned teammate.

"Shh…" Cyborg said as the Beast Boy on the screen began to walk. They watched as he walked a few paces and then was out of reach of the camera's lens.

"Raven…" Robin said.

"I'm on it."

In a flash of black, her hood went up around her head and she seeped out through the floor.

As the last of the dark cloud escaped beneath the surface of the floor, something small and grey tumbled to the spot on which Raven had stood seconds ago.

"She left the earpiece behind!" Cyborg picked up the device.

Robin swore.

* * *

Raven found herself standing (or rather floating a few inches off the floor) in the dim corridor a few paces from Beast Boy's room. She caught sight of his back as he rounded the corner, and wasted no time in gliding after him.

She kept to the shadows and stayed a few paces behind him, but five seconds later he stopped and sniffed the air.

"Who's there?" Beast Boy called out, fear in his voice.

_Why is he so scared? _Raven wondered. She kept quiet, and pressed closer to the wall.

"I know you're there. Show yourself now or I'll–"

"It's me," she peeled herself away from the wall and stepped into the middle of the corridor, lowering her hood with a single command from her mind.

"Raven?" he seemed surprised, but not in an unpleasant way. Then, curiously, "What are you doing here?"

"What are _you _doing here?" Raven returned his question, her eyes boring into his. Beast Boy returned her stare unflinchingly, so much so that she suddenly felt like looking away. But she did not.

"Me?" he asked, "I was just going to the kitchen… to get something to eat."

He was telling the truth.

Raven hesitated. "May I… come with you?"

Beast Boy's eyes widened just the slightest bit, but then his face broke into a timid smile. "Of course," he said. He waited for Raven to come forward and together they walked to the kitchen side by side in silence.

**o o o**

After Raven had convinced Beast Boy that herbal tea was vegetarian-friendly, helped soothe nerves and, most importantly, tasted good, he put away his bowl of plain, cold tofu and allowed her to make them each a mug of herbal tea. And now they both sat side by side at the counter, with two identical blue mugs of steaming tea in front of them.

"Can't sleep?" she asked, after he had taken a few sips of his tea.

Beast Boy muttered a soft "Yeah", still clutching the mug to himself. He seemed to be lost in thoughts, thoughts Raven did not want to read. Somehow it felt wrong of her, to pry into his privacy like that. She wished for him to tell her whatever was bugging him, not for her to find out without his permission, although he would never know if she had read his mind or not.

It was not a wish in vain, as Raven was about to find out.

Beast Boy inhaled deeply- the scent of the tea seemed to give him some courage to speak to her. "Raven," he said, "have you ever… have you ever felt like things were out of your control?"

Raven raised an eyebrow. "Yes," she answered, and what came to mind was the searing pain that had branded itself onto her in glowing orange marks. "But they weren't, really. I had my friends- and that was enough to keep things in control."

"But…" Beast Boy continued, his eyes locked on the counter top, "but what if your friends aren't powerful enough to help you?"

"There is an inner strength we all have deep inside us. When all is lost, we can still count on that part of ourselves," Raven said. She turned to Beast Boy. She could sense his fear.

"Beast Boy… is there _anything_ you want to tell me?"

He looked up at her, and in that split second she saw everything and nothing in his eyes.

"I…" his voice hung in the air, along with a million possibilities. "No. There's nothing. Look… I… I have to go."

And he dashed out of the kitchen.

* * *

It was the Titans alarm that woke the Teen Titans early the next morning, and this time they found themselves in front of an antique store that bore the sign 'Odds and Ends'. Inspector Howard was waiting outside the store for them, and as the Titans approached the police inspector, they noticed the expression on his face- an expression that could only mean one thing: bad news.

"You kids have got to see this," the Inspector said as he led them through the doors into the store.

They got no further, because all five Titans had stopped dead in their tracks to stare in utter horror at the interior of the store. Antique wooden cabinets and chests were strewn broken about the floor, and shards of glass were everywhere. But what had caught their unwavering attention were the claw marks that were found on every single surface in the store.

"No…" Beast Boy let out a whisper of a whimper. His face grew pale and he stumbled backwards.

But Cyborg, Starfire, Robin and Raven exchanged glances that spoke of relief. Beast Boy had returned to his room from the kitchen and had never left the Tower for the rest of the night, which left only one question.

If Beast Boy was innocent, then who was the culprit?

* * *

**A/N: **Some nice Raven and Beast Boy moments and lots of twisty goodness at the end of the chapter! I hope you all enjoyed reading that. Once again, I'd like to thank the following people for reviewing the previous chapter (and this time a few notes to go along with the thanks):

**toxic-dreamer-2**: yes, Robin does remember what it was like the last time Beast Boy turned into the beast, which is why he acts this way

**Balkoth**: thank you! I'm actually pleased that the plot came out rather nicely in the end, because when I started I only had a vague idea of how I wanted things to be. And apologies for the error about Mumbo... don't know why I wrote Mundo.

**AureliusXsoul**: thank you! I always like to end my chapters with cliffs- call it a bad habit. Yes, I like the Beast and the Boy parts myself! They are a joy to write.

**Das Ubermann**: I'm glad you're liking the story! Hmm… you'll find out why Beast Boy wanted to steal the stuff soon enough!

**Overactive Mind**: I won't say how close to the real plot you've gotten so I'll just say that in your review you hit the nail on the head AND you also hit off the mark. Hmm…

**yosei11**: haha! I love getting reviews so I guess it's only fair I mention those who review! I'm glad you enjoyed the previous chapter and I hope you enjoyed this one.

**acosta perez jose Ramiro**:yes, the Titans are a team after all and I believe that they would stand up for Beast Boy initially.

**Next Update: July 30 **(sorry for the wait, but I won't be at home on July 29)


	10. Face to Face

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans.

**X**

**Face to Face**

The room was dark, damp and musky. Occasionally the water that dripped down onto the ground from the ceiling reflected some sliver of light that had stumbled upon this blackness, and it was at those times that the sudden glint caught the surface of the breathtakingly beautiful jewel that stood in the middle of the room. Were the shop keeper of the recently robbed jewelry store 'Gems and Dimes' in the room, he would have recognized it immediately as 'The Mind's Eye'- the diamond that had been stolen from the shop.

It was not called 'The Mind's Eye' for nothing.

Another weak ray of light chanced upon the gleaming surface of the jewel and was reflected into a thousand tiny glittering beads that revolved around the walls. In that one moment, the diamond had known everything in the light ray- known enough to transform it into something different.

_A transformation so complete that they would never tell the difference._

There was no hint of a breeze in the room, but still the hem of the black cape seemed to move out of its own accord, as though hiding place to a mass of unimaginable evils within its folds.

_He will be unstoppable._

The dark wooden box with the golden clasp rose from the ground and into the air. It was a box that Inspector Howard might have found familiar after seeing numerous pictures of it in the case file for the robbery at 'Odds and Ends'. This box, so said the catalogue, was impenetrable by any force on Earth (and beyond it).

As smooth black leather gloves plucked the box from the air, something above the room shifted and plunged it back into the darkness.

"The time is now."

* * *

Beast Boy slammed the door shut and, with his back pressed hard against it, slumped to the floor in a daze. 

He'd remembered everything. If anyone asked him now, he felt perfectly capable of reciting the exact sequence of actions he'd carried out the night before when he robbed the antique store. Only none of the other Titans had even considered the possibility that the robber could have been him- they'd all convened at the Operations Center upon reaching the Tower. Beast Boy had escaped to his room knowing that it was _he_ who had crept out of the Tower when the others weren't aware. It was he who had made his way, as though following some sort of magnetic pull, to the store- and he'd known _exactly _what he'd wanted.

It was a box of some sort, made of dark polished wood (he recalled how the box had gleamed under a burst of moonlight that night) and had an elaborately made golden clasp. And there was something else about the box… Something special.

Nothing could penetrate it.

Despair was suddenly pushed aside as Beast Boy stood up in a flash of inspiration. If he'd stolen the jewel and the box, surely he would still be in possession of them? Beast Boy searched his room in seconds and came up with absolutely nothing.

_Figures_, he thought, _if I stole things I wouldn't hide them in my room_.

Then where had he put them?

It was a question Beast Boy did not have the answer to, just like the question of why he stole them in the first place.

Rubbing his tired eyes, he exhaled exasperatedly and plopped onto the edge of the lower bunk of his bed. Somehow he couldn't shake off the feeling that both times he'd been _told _what to do.

Beast Boy didn't know why, but he _had _stolen those items.

* * *

"If it isn't Beast Boy, then who could it be?" 

It was a question that neither Cyborg, Starfire, Robin or Raven could answer.

"Somehow I think this is all connected to that villain we fought with in the research facility that day," Robin mused as he stared into the distance. If not for his mask, his eyes would most probably have the look of someone who was doing some intense thinking.

"The man in white? That leads us back to square one!" Cyborg threw up his hands in frustration. He brought them back down onto the coffee table and sent the entire table shuddering. Robin grabbed the edges of the table in an attempt to stop the shaking.

"How can you be sure?" Raven asked, her dark eyes flashing.

"I'm not- but I think we're about to find out," Robin said as the Titans alarm suddenly burst into life. The entire Tower was filled with the siren. Seconds later, Beast Boy dashed into the Operations Center to find the other Titans gathered around one of the computer panels.

"The research facility," Cyborg said.

"Titans, GO!"

* * *

The moment Beast Boy stepped into the threshold of the research facility, he felt the hairs on his neck stand on end. Nausea welled up in the pit of his stomach and he fought to keep the queasiness under control. He had to pull himself together if the Titans were to face the man in white again. And he had to be strong enough to find out the truth about everything. Most importantly, he had to make sure that he did not let the Beast out, because if he did, all would be lost. 

He felt the fabric of Raven's dark blue cloak brush against his calves, and for a moment he slowed down his pace just so he could hold the moment- her closeness was comforting, somehow it made him feel safe. Robin, Cyborg and Starfire were in front of Beast Boy, and each of the three pairs of eyes was trained on different parts of the research facility.

"Be careful," Robin warned them.

Beast Boy looked around. The research facility seemed empty.

The team moved further into the spacious hall of the research facility and all around them the silence followed their every move. They stopped in the middle of the space and stood quite still. The silence rang in their ears. Beast Boy shifted his feet and his shoes made a sound as they scuffed against the cement flooring.

"There's no one here," he said, "maybe it's a false alarm." There was a mix of doubt and hope in his voice.

Cyborg took a glance at the panel on his arm where the sonic analyzer was and, to Beast Boy's surprise, concurred with his teammate. "Beast Boy's right. I'm not registering any heartbeat on my monitor."

"He's here."

**o o o**

Although her eyes were fixed on the Titans, Raven was seeing, with her mind, something quite different from the four figures in front of her. A chillingly familiar sensation gripped her, and for a split second an image of a large, round mass of pulsating black with red around the edges flashed into her eye, and as soon as it had appeared it disappeared, leaving her feeling slightly uncomfortable.

"What's wrong?" Robin asked. He had been observing her.

"It's that–"

"Look out!" Starfire yelled, before Raven could say anything more. In a burst of energy the alien girl took flight and aimed a starbolt at something large that was whizzing through the air towards the team. There was a splash of sparks as the Titans brought their hands up to shield their faces. The remains of a charred metal barrel crashed to the floor near Robin.

**o o o**

"Titans, GO!"

Something white came hurtling out from the second floor of the research facility, and landed neatly on both white feet as the Titans scattered into five different directions. The man in white had just a few seconds to an empty space before a green tiger burst out from the sides, deadly paws outstretched and ready to slash. But before Beast Boy in tiger form could get anywhere near the villain, his opponent raised a hand and with a casual, almost nonchalant flick, Beast Boy was thrown past his target and into the shadows on the other side of the hall.

But it was not over yet, because Starfire had risen into the air carrying Robin and with an expertly taken throw, the Boy Wonder was sent whizzing through the air and straight at the man in white, who had but a split second to react. Robin sent a few punches, the first of which hit the target, but the subsequent few were blocked. The man grabbed hold of Robin's hands and in a whirl of red, green and yellow, the boy soared through the air and went crashing into Starfire. The impact carried both of them into the railing of the upper landing.

Then Raven appeared in front of the man and swept open her cloak to reveal Cyborg, who burst out with his sonic cannon trained on the man in white. Just as Cyborg was about to shoot, the man in white melted into the floor and reappeared behind Raven. Someone called out her name and she whirled around – too late – the man raised a white fist and got barreled away by a green ram that appeared in front of Raven just in time to head-butt the man away.

The ram turned into Beast Boy, had just enough time to say: "You okay?" to the dark-haired girl before the man in white returned and, with a stunningly powerful kick, sent the Titan spinning away, and landing, fortunately, in the safe grip of his Tamaranean teammate. Back at ground level, Raven was on the defence, holding up a shield of dark energy against the attacks of the man in white. His blows got stronger and stronger, however, and as her shield began to break up he delivered the last crushing blow that sent her flying straight into Cyborg. The two of them landed with a crash on the floor.

As the man in white advanced towards the fallen Titans, Robin dropped down in front of them from out of nowhere and the two began an intense fight. The man in white aimed a punch at Robin, who ducked and lashed out a leg, hoping to trip his opponent. But the man in white was quick to react with a series of back flips that took him well out of the range of Robin. Robin was not one to give up easily – he took a flying leap at the man and it was hard to see what was happening because the two were so close…

Then Robin fell to the floor and the man in white dashed into the shadows, heading deeper into the research facility.

"After him!" Robin shouted, and the Titans followed suit.

Starfire and Raven flew through the air while on the ground Beast Boy as a cheetah outran the sprinting Robin and Cyborg. The man in white was headed towards the two large back doors of the research facility- his escape route. Just as the man reached the doors, a shiny silver birdarang sliced through the air and embedded itself in the rusty metal of the facility's doors.

"Stop right there!" Robin shouted as the rest of the team came up behind him.

The man in white slowly peeled his gaze away from the door and turned to face the Teen Titans. His face was its usual mask of blankness. As he turned around, he came face to face with the glowing green of Starfire's starbolt in her hands; the dark energy ball that Raven held in a fist; Cyborg's sonic cannon lock and loaded; Robin's fighting staff and a growling green tiger that was Beast Boy.

"Tell us who you are," Robin said, never taking his eyes of the silent man.

The thing that happened next was nothing that any of them expected. The first thing they heard was a voice, a low voice as smooth as caramel yet nowhere as sweet.

"I see you've met my assistant."

It came from the shadows somewhere to their left, and the moment the voice spoke, Cyborg aimed his sonic cannon in that direction.

"Who are you?" Robin shouted into the dark.

Then the man in white dissolved into what could only be described as a cloud of white particles, which made their way across the cement floor and into the shadow where the voice had come from.

The Teen Titans watched as a figure disengaged itself from the shadows and stepped forward. From the wide-brimmed hat all the way down to the very tips of glossy boots that were just visible beneath a magnificent cape, the figure was entirely black.

"I am something you wish you'd never set eyes on."

* * *

**A/N: **Wow. "Titans, GO!" is said twice in this chapter. A record! Anyway, in case you may not know, this figure in black is the villain who was mentioned in Chapter I and also in the beginning of this chapter. Just thought I'd clarify that, in case some people don't get the link.

I'd like to thank all reviewers, especially the ones who have been following the story but have never really reviewed. Thanks to:

**BrokenNevermore**

**Balkoth**

**Overactive Mind**

**AureliusXsoul**

**secondrate**

**Chrosis**

**Jake**

**VeelaChic**

**acosta perez jose ramiro**

I don't have time to reply your reviews but generally the feeling is I'm glad they're coming in and I'll do my best to work on the feedback. For plot-related questions, the only thing I'll say is: read on!

**Next Update: August 4**


	11. Beast Within

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans.

**XI**

**Beast Within**

The black wide-brimmed hat was pulled low over a face shielded by a black bandanna from the bridge of the nose down. The small stretch of skin that showed was pale as ivory, and his eyes were like two large, black beads. A long cloak revealed the shadowy darkness of equally black clothes inside, and almost covered the glossy boots in which the man was standing.

"What do you want?" Robin snarled, his grip on the fighting staff still as tense as ever. Beside him Starfire glared at the villain, ready to let fly the starbolt in her hand.

"Oh, you know," said the man in his smooth voice, "the same thing all _villains_ want: destruction of Good, world domination and the general pursuit of happiness."

"I see a problem with all three," Cyborg said coldly, his sonic cannon trained on the black figure. Beast Boy was standing next to the half-man half-robot; he was no longer in the form of a tiger but back in his human form, and he looked distinctly nauseous.

The man just laughed, never moving at all from where he stood. "You think you're going to stop me? You actually think you can _take me on_? I am much more powerful than you think," and in a split second two streams of white seeped out from under his cloak and encircled the Titans. The white particles rose into the air and formed human shapes so that at least a dozen men in white were surrounding the heroes. Raven's eyes blazed white in anger as the man chuckled. His voice was deceivingly charming.

"Oh no," he said, and the figures vanished in puffs of smoke, "I'm not here to fight. I'm just here to thank you."

"Thank us? What for?" Starfire questioned, her voice dangerously low.

"For helping me."

Beast Boy's face turned a paler shade of green.

"Why would any of us help you? We've never seen you before." Robin's glare was, unfortunately, not strong enough to even weasel out a flinch from the man.

Again, the villain laughed a low chuckle. He seemed thoroughly amused by this exchange. "My, my. _Someone's_ quite the liar." He was looking straight at Beast Boy. "Why don't you introduce me to your friends, Beast Boy?"

"B! You _know _this guy?" Cyborg exclaimed.

"NO!" Beast Boy shouted. "I've never seen him before!" Turning to the man, he glared and repeated, "_I've never seen you before_."

"Then allow me to refresh your memory." No movement came from the man, but the Titans watched as the space next to his head shimmered slightly, then played host to a hologram of a revolving diamond. "The Mind's Eye – one of the largest and rarest diamonds in the world – from 'Gems and Dimes'." Starfire's gasp was plainly audible in the silence that ensued. As soon as the man had finished speaking, the image of the diamond winked out of sight and was replaced by the image of a box made of dark, polished wood, with a golden clasp. "The Impenetrable Box – no force on Earth or out of Earth can destroy it – from your local antique store 'Odds and Ends'." And once again the box disappeared from sight.

"All," the man continued smoothly, "delivered to me by your little green friend."

"Beast Boy?" Starfire turned to look at the Titan, her starbolt vanishing as she did so.

"He's LYING!" Beast Boy roared. His whole body was quaking with rage.

There was silence.

"You're lying," Raven said. Her voice was soft, but firm and as she spoke the man looked at her intently, "Beast Boy never left the Tower that night. He couldn't have stolen the items."

The man's eyes narrowed – the first sign of movement he'd allowed them to see. "Or so you _think_," he said.

"What are you playing at?" Robin growled, clearly frustrated.

"Playing? This isn't a game, Robin. I'm here to get power and as it is I am quite behind time on my schedule. Don't bother coming after me. I'm sure Beast Boy will keep you very occupied."

"What do you mean?" Cyborg was not the only one who did not understand what the man was saying.

"Why don't you see for yourself?" The man did not point, but somehow all eyes fell upon Beast Boy who was clutching his stomach and groaning.

"B!" Cyborg shouted as the Titan's knees gave way and he sank to the floor. Beads of sweat were appearing on his green forehead, and the others watched in nothing short of horror as Beast Boy writhed on the ground in agony.

Angered, Starfire summoned a starbolt into her hand and floated towards the man in black. "You will do no such thing," she glared, breathing heavily.

"I won't," said the man, "but he will."

An excruciating scream from Beast Boy forced Starfire to extinguish her starbolt and run to the green Titan. She knelt down and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Beast Boy?" she called out to him.

"Starfire, get back!" Robin shouted, but as he said those words Starfire was flung back forcefully by the monstrous beast that now stood in Beast Boy's place. Cyborg and Raven backed away from the beast, and Robin saw the fear and recognition in their eyes. Dazed but unhurt, Starfire got to her feet and watched, eyes wide as Beast Boy was slowly lifted into the air by an invisible force that could only have come from the man in black, still standing there taking everything in calmly.

"You see," the man said, "there is an evil in all of us. And your friend here has just learnt to let his demons out."

The Titans watched as the beast snarled and writhed in the air, a puppet on unseen strings.

"Put him down." Dark energy engulfed Raven's fists as she turned to the man in black, her eyes glowing white.

"With pleasure."

There was a snap. The thrashing body of the beast was all that filled their visions, and this was when the man in black chose to make his escape.

* * *

_"You see," said the Beast, "there's nothing you can do to make me go away. I'm afraid I'm going to stay for quite a while."_

_The Boy was sniffling._

"_Don't cry," said the Beast._

"_I hate you." The Boy's voice was hard._

"_There _is_ something you can do," the Beast said._

_"What?" The Boy was eager for anything – anything to get rid of the Beast._

"_Join me."_

"_No. No. NEVER."_

"_I thought so," said the Beast._

* * *

"Beast Boy! I know you're in there somewhere. You have to listen to me and snap out of it. We're the Titans! You're part of our _team_!"

The snarling green monster, surrounded by four teenage heroes, whirled around to face the boy in the green cape who had spoken. Growling, the beast snapped its jaws wildly.

"You're not doing any good," Raven called out to Robin, "go after the man in black. He's still around – I can sense him."

"I can't just leave the team like that!" Robin shouted above another loud roar that issued from the beast's jaws.

"We will be fine!" Starfire called back.

"Yeah," Cyborg shouted, "it's just BB!"

As they spoke, the beast whirled around to stare each one of them in the eye. But it never pounced, just kept turning around to look at the four Titans who had it surrounded.

"GO!" Starfire shouted, and that was all it took for Robin to turn and start running out the back doors of the research facility. With a roar, the beast leapt into the air in an effort to prevent Robin from leaving, but Starfire had already flown up and seized the chance to tackle the beast in midair. With a mighty swing she sent the creature flying away from the doors and into the shadows of the building. The tips of Robin's cape disappeared around the corner.

Cyborg, Raven and Starfire moved to form a line with their backs against the doors. In front of them lay the temporarily empty space that was growing darker as the sun dipped lower into the horizon.

A movement in the shadows caught their attentions and they watched as the green-furred beast crept out towards them, growling menacingly.

* * *

Robin burst out the doors and into the cool air of the approaching evening. He found himself facing a dark alley. On his left and right were narrow passages that led to other warehouses in the district. Behind him he heard a roar followed by a deafening crash and, hoping that the team (or what was left of it) could find a way to stop Beast Boy without hurting him, Robin set off down the dark alley in search of the mysterious villain in black.

* * *

"We've got to get him back to the Tower and do a scan," Cyborg was talking fast, his sonic cannon aimed at the skulking shape of the beast ready to pounce, "I still have some of the anti left but the chemicals may have altered his DNA further."

"How have the chemicals come into contact with Beast Boy?" Starfire asked, her starbolt ready.

"I don't know, but that's what we need to find out," Raven said grimly.

The beast roared and began to run towards them.

"Cyborg?" Raven called.

"Lock and loaded."

"Starfire?"

"I am ready."

The beast was closing up the distance between them… 200 metres… 100 metres…

"Aim for somewhere that won't hurt so much," Raven added as an afterthought.

It was 50 metres away…

Then Cyborg panicked.

"Put up a shield!"

"What?" Raven hissed, eyes still locked on the approaching beast.

Cyborg's sonic cannon flickered. "Put up a shield!"

"_What_?"

"PUT UP A SHIELD!"

* * *

**A/N: **Dear All, I'm very glad that _some_ of you are enjoying the story, especially the fighting. You don't know how very tough it is to write these fight scenes because first the author has to imagine them and then convey them into words, and there are only so many verbs I can use and only so many ways to say that someone got thrown across the room, which happens a lot in this piece of fiction. Anyway, I'd like to thank those who reviewed:**Balkoth**

**Moving Mountains**

**Overactive Mind**

**AureliusXsoul**

**acosta perez jose ramiro**

I don't think you know it, but reviews _do _help keep the author writing so… the next person who reads this, you know what to do.

**Next Update: August 9**


	12. Duet

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans. I wish I did.

**XII**

**Duet**

A wall of black rose from the ground in front of them just as the beast pounced, which resulted in it hitting the shield with a force so strong it drove the three Titans a few steps back. Raven braced her hands against the barrier upon impact. Then the beast crashed into the darkness once again.

"Why didn't you shoot?" Raven rounded on Cyborg.

Cyborg shook his head as if to clear it, then said, "I just saw Beast Boy and I couldn't bear to shoot."

"He is coming again!" Starfire's urgent call forced Raven to swallow a reprimand and instead turn to face the angry beast that was once again charging towards them. This time Raven was ready, and the black barrier went up easily. But the beast had anticipated this move and skidded to a stop before pounding hard on the shield. Raven buckled slightly under the force.

"Cyborg!" she called.

"I'm on it!"

The half-man half-robot leapt out through the shield and threw a metal-and-flesh punch at the beast's jaw. This blow caused the beast to stumble back, and Raven let down the barrier as Cyborg continued to land another and yet another punch, albeit rather reluctantly. However, a mighty roar and a wild slash of claws sent Cyborg skidding on all fours across the floor of the research facility.

Starfire came forward, starbolts in hand. "Do not make me hurt you," she cried out, but the beast was past verbal negotiation, and lunged at the Tamaranean without delay. Starfire dodged the hairy fist that came at her and doled out a few punches of her own. One grazed the beast – the rest struck only air. Then suddenly green claws encircled themselves around her body in a deadly grip. Gasping and squirming, Starfire tried in vain to free herself, but was sent flying across the room where a metal column broke her fall.

The beast rounded on the third Titan, standing alone in front of it, unfazed. With an enraged roar, the beast charged at Raven, only to find itself hauled into the air by a cloud of black energy that surrounded it. Raven forced the beast through the doors with a crash, and the large animal landed on the pavement outside.

Cyborg and Starfire came up behind their dark-haired teammate and the three stepped out into the evening.

"Let's get him," Raven said.

* * *

Robin didn't know how long the alley way went on for, so he kept on running past the dark walls that flanked both sides of the passage. Straight ahead of him was only an inky blackness that revealed nothing. 

Robin kept running, then for no apparent reason leapt into the air and brandished his staff. A few seconds later, the reason came in the form of a dark object whizzing through the air towards him from above. With an expertly taken slash, Robin sliced the object neatly into two, landed on his feet and continued the run deeper into the alley. Several seconds later, the sound of a rush of air on his right announced the arrival of a second deadly object that was heading straight for him. Robin was ready with his staff again and somersaulted into the air. He smashed the object into the ground and stood up, standing quite still where he was.

Without warning, he whipped around and let fly a gleaming birdarang into the darkness ahead of him. His weapon shrilled through the air and was greeted with silence.

"Nice shot…"

The shadows began to move. Two steps were all it took for the man in black to emerge from the darkness and into the weak light of the rising moon. Robin's eyes were trained on his birdarang, which was hovering in the air just in front of the villain. Then the sharp ends of the weapon began to move closer together until the metal formed an awkward circle. Masked eyes widened as the birdarang, now harmless, was tossed invisibly aside.

"But I'm afraid you missed."

Robin took a half step back and brought his fighting staff between the man and him. "Raven says you're a telekinetic," he glared.

"Your friend is very perceptive," came the smooth answer.

Robin said nothing in reply, but then again, he didn't need to. The tall figure he was facing made no attempt to run away. Instead, he began to make an invitation.

"Come, Robin, let's play a game."

Robin glared, "I thought you said this wasn't a game."

"Oh come now, aren't we allowed to change our minds?"

Robin kept stonily silent.

"Have you thought of an answer yet?"

"I'm not in the mood for games."

"Oh," said the man, "but I'm sure you'll like this one very much."

* * *

"I got him, I got him!" Cyborg's left arm was pointing in the direction of the beast, which was busy fending off low-energy starbolts and large flying objects that were aimed at it. A panel on Cyborg's right arm opened to reveal a launcher that was attached to a long, thin cable. As this cable sped towards the beast, Raven and Starfire flew out of range and the line wrapped itself around the powerful green body of the beast. 

"It's not going to hold!" Raven called out as the beast strained at the cable with all its might, roaring furiously.

"It's got to hold!" Cyborg charged at the beast, but before he could ram himself against the creature, it grabbed him by the shoulders and threw him aside as though he were a tiny rag doll. Raven watched as Cyborg crashed against the metal doors of the research facility.

There was no time to come to her teammate's aid, though, because with one tremendous heave, the beast ripped the cables loose, and the lines fell like dead eels around its furry ankles. Without a moment's hesitation, the beast leapt at the Titan nearest to it- Starfire.

"Look out!" Raven shouted, and raised a hand that stopped the beast in midair. Using her dark energy, she threw the animal hard against the brick wall of the warehouse on their right. The beast crashed into the wall and a cloud of dust covered it as bricks tumbled to the ground.

Cyborg came limping up to Raven and Starfire.

"We need to knock him out," he said reluctantly.

"I've got a plan…" Raven replied.

* * *

"What makes you think so?" Robin asked. Privately he cared nothing for this conversation, but if it was making the villain stay, then he would continue talking, because that gave him an opportunity to… do something, at the very least. 

"Because, Robin, you always want answers, don't you?"

"You don't have to read my mind to know that."

The man chuckled appreciatively.

"This game," the man said, "will get you your answers. You get three moves. For every move you make, you get to ask a question. If I fail to counter your effort, I provide the answer."

"And if you counter my effort?" Robin asked.

"Your pain is enough for me. I'm not the one looking for answers."

In the silence that ensued, Robin thought he heard a distant roar from behind him. But the events that had taken place earlier on seemed far off – the present was all that mattered now.

"Do I have your consent?"

Robin hesitated.

The next words that the man spoke seemed specifically aimed at the Boy Wonder's doubts.

"The use of my telekinesis will be unnecessary in this battle."

With a yell and a swirl of his staff, Robin charged.

* * *

"I am over here, you clorbag!" Starfire hovered in the air behind the beast, her back to a solid brick wall. Her eyes were glowing a dangerous neon green, the same green that shone from the shimmering orb in her right hand. Cyborg and Raven were nowhere in sight. 

The beast whirled around, sniffing the air. Catching sight of the alien girl floating on her own, it snarled and began to charge towards Starfire.

The beast had taken only two wide steps before the ground a few paces in front of it swirled into black nothingness. A cloaked figure rose from the depths of oblivion, and as Raven wordlessly pulled apart the folds of her cloak, she revealed a hybrid of man and machine who sprang forth and rammed himself into the chest of the beast. Starfire and Raven watched as Cyborg plunged his right fist into the soft region under the ribs of the beast, which yowled and leapt back a few steps. But the robotic Titan held on and slammed his left fist into the body of the beast, pushing the two of them further back. Another right punch that followed elicited a howl of pain from the green monster.

Cyborg's attack was cut short when the beast finally regained its footing and placed both its arms on Cyborg's back. The Titan tried to fight back, but the beast seemed to draw some extra strength, with which it lifted the half-man, half-robot and flung him high into the air, so that Cyborg went soaring towards the roof of the research facility.

"Starfire!" Raven called, but the alien had sped off towards her teammate.

Panting heavily, the beast rounded on Raven, who was floating in midair, cloaked and fully hooded. The beast crouched and growled menacingly. Out of the corner of her eye Raven saw Starfire, in the distance, speeding up and getting closer to Cyborg, who was now falling towards the metal roof of the research facility. Raven lowered her hood, and the beast watched every movement of hers with suspicion.

There was a silence as Raven's eyes met the beast's, and something invisible seemed to pass between them.

Then the beast drew itself up to its full height and roared its loudest yet.

"I guess that's a 'No'," said Raven without flinching.

The beast lunged a few steps forward and leapt at the dark-haired girl, who telekinetically moved a few metal dustbins into its pathway. The beast slashed at the bins and, undaunted, lifted a large furry arm to strike Raven. She blocked his attack and the next few ones with a black force shield which she held up bravely to protect herself, then, on the beast's fourth strike, Raven dispelled the shield as the words came fast and furious to her mouth, "Azareth, Metrion, Zinthos!"

A large black raven's claw extended from the ground and clasped itself around the beast, which struggled to break free. At the same time, Cyborg's feet touched the ground behind the beast as Starfire gently lowered him onto land.

"Cyborg! Now!" Raven shouted, her face furrowing with the effort it was taking to keep the beast in her hold.

Cyborg raised his right hand and the panels on it shifted to reveal his sonic cannon. What Raven could not see, however, was that the energy level of the shot was set to low. The beast's eyes were suddenly drawn to the Titan with the weapon pointed at it.

"B! I know you're in there! _Don't make me do it_."

"Cyborg! NOW!"

And perhaps Cyborg was dreaming, but he thought he saw the beast's eyes soften a fraction. Cyborg made as if to lower his arm… and at the exact same moment the beast ripped through the force field holding him.

"NO!" Raven yelled as she struggled to regain her grip on the beast.

The last thing any of them saw was a black energy stream that snaked towards Cyborg's sonic cannon.

A high-energy blast that issued from the Titan's right arm washed a brilliant blue light over the entire area.

Then nothing.

* * *

**A/N: **Hmm. A cliffhanger. No surprises here. 

I'd just like to apologise for sounding very curt in the previous chapter's A/N. I am really grateful to even have readers, and I do appreciate the fact that you all take time to read this story.

Because of the fact that I have committed to uploading chapters on certain days, this means that I have deadlines to meet and cannot write whenever inspiration strikes. It is my way of working, and so I apologise if some chapters and some sections of chapters seem lackluster. Also, in an attempt to make chapters longer I have stretched some scenes and added in parts that may have made the flow of the story seem a little weird. I have decided not to let the idea of 'longer chapters' affect my writing and thus I seek your understanding in this issue. From now on, certain chapters might seem unusually short or unusually lengthy, but rest assured they will contain whatever I have planned for them to say, nothing more and nothing less!

On a lighter note, -smiles-, I will address **Overactive Mind**'s concerns about how security footage showed Beast Boy to be in his room while our dearest evil "Mr. Black" claimed to have received the Box from BB. Yes, that is exactly what happened. No mistake in the writing. This mystery will be solved in a few chapters time, but meanwhile you all can keep guessing. Muhaha.

Also, you might have noticed that I have increased the wait between chapters. My apologies, but this is due to the fact that I am quite behind on my writing AND I have a major exam of utmost-importance-concerning-life-and-death-kind coming up, and will need to give some time to that. But rest assured I will see this story through, if it is the last thing I do… -distant war cry-

Lastly, a very, very BIG thank you to all who reviewed (wow, we have new names!):

**secondrate**

**acosta perez jose ramiro**

**Das Ubermann**

**AureliusXsoul**

**Balkoth**

**Overactive Mind**

**WickedWitchoftheSE**

**Queen of Ravens**

**Sirithiliel**

I really appreciate feedback, but please do not feel compelled to review!

**Next Update: August 14**


	13. Slipping Through

**A/N: **Apologies for the delay in uploading this chapter, but the Document Manager was experiencing some error in the editing of the chapter, and I didn't want to upload a chapter that wasn't, in my opinion, complete. And since the error is still around - which means I won't be able to use lines to separate the sections, I'll use a whole row of bold Xs. So here is Chapter 13, a day late. Many, many apologies.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans.

**XIII**

**Slipping Through**

"What do you want with the jewel?"

Robin's staff, aimed at the chest of the man, came spiraling down from the air. The target caught the end of the staff squarely between his two leather-covered hands and twisted it roughly, flinging Robin off course and also straight towards the wall of one of the buildings along the alley. But the Boy Wonder performed a clever little somersault in midair, and landed with a light _thump _back on the ground. A split second later his high-density polymerized titanium cape fell neatly into place behind him.

Robin sprang up and ran full speed at the man, who was ready for his attack. The man in black parried Robin's lightning-quick punches as easily as if Robin were a tiny gnat. Then, as though tired of having to deal with such a weak opponent, the man caught hold of Robin's wrists and sent the boy spinning across the alley and into the brick wall of the building with a hard jab to the chest. A sharp bolt of pain stabbed through Robin's back and he tumbled to the gravelly ground, but he was up in two seconds, ready to attack again.

"You have two attempts left," said the man. He had not moved a muscle except for the necessary steps he'd taken to counter Robin's attack. Other than that, he remained impeccably black, straight and still. He stood tall against the darkening sky.

Robin ignored the throbbing pain in his back and got into another stance.

"I'm ready for some answers," said the masked Titan.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

The world was black and soundless, and she was lying in the middle of this infinity of darkness that stretched on and on, so far that her eyes watered with the very effort of looking at it.

She tried to move her legs, but they did not respond. Something that vaguely felt like panic welled up in her chest; it felt like her heart was expanding a few centimeters in diameter. She tried to move her arms, but they did not respond either.

Raven… 

Then it all came rushing back, and, like pulling apart the curtains of her room to reveal sunlight, the black jerked out of her vision and in streamed a blue light so brilliant she could feel the tears trickling down her cheeks. There was a rush of blood to her head and it coincided with a rush of air that brought with it a loud sucking noise and it threatened to make her go death. But seconds later the light reduced itself to a degree of illumination that was somewhere around the regions of normality, and the sound diminished into an eerie silence that left goose bumps on her skin.

Raven awoke to find herself lying on the ground on her side, with her cloak draped over her. The dark blue fabric was ripped in places, but otherwise it was more or less whole. She blinked a few times and her eyes tried to adjust themselves to the surroundings. For a few seconds, she stared dumbly into space, dazed.

Then something drew her attention back to the ground, and she saw the curled up figure of a rather scrawny boy. He was bruised and bleeding, and the purple-and-black suit that he wore was torn in places. The boy's eyes were closed, and he seemed peaceful in his sleep. The strangest thing about him was that his skin was green.

"Beast Boy…"

Raven stumbled over to Beast Boy as the events connected in her head, fitting together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle that had been taken out of the box and scattered all over a large room.

As Raven made her way clumsily over to the immobile Teen Titan, something else was moving as well. A large pile of bricks and other debris, remnants of a ruined wall, quivered slightly. The topmost stones shook noisily, then rolled off the heap as they made way for a large metallic hand of white and grey. Near this heap of a wall lay a girl. Her long, russet hair fanned itself messily about the ground and as a breeze bustled through the place, the strands of her hair began to dance in the air. But her hair was not the only part of her that began moving. First her eyelids flickered, then her eyebrows furrowed into a frown and finally her eyes burst open to reveal piercing the green jewels of her pupils.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"What are you planning to do to the City?"

This was what Robin shouted as he ran towards the man in black, fists balled and brandished. He pulled back his right arm and drove it straight into the man's chest, but it hit something so solid Robin thought his knuckles had cracked open upon impact. Crying out in pain and surprise, he found that his fist had come into contact with the right palm of the man. Before Robin could spring away, pull his fist back, aim another shot at the man – anything – the man wrapped his hands around Robin's fist and squeezed.

Robin's yell echoed in the space above them and drowned out the tiny cracking noises that told him his bones were breaking. Then he felt the man's other hand come into contact with _his _stomach, and it was like an atomic explosion in his gut. The force of the punch threw Robin back and he fell for the umpteenth time onto the ground. Another bolt of pain wrenched through his back, but this time it was nothing compared to the screaming agony in his right first and the burning sensation in his abdomen.

"How different," said the man, not moving, "was that second question from the first?"

Robin lay on the ground, his chest heaving. He glared up at the dark figure.

"So soon?" the man's voice was soft, lilting in the dark. "You're giving up so soon?"

Robin staggered to his feet and, with the back of his left hand, wiped away a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth.

"I still have one more move," rasped the Boy Wonder.

"Then let's see it," came the reply.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

The interior of the T-Car was as silent as a morgue, and as the vehicle made its way towards the large building shaped like a T that loomed in the distance, none of its occupants seemed interested in warming up the atmosphere with a conversation.

It was safe to say that Cyborg was physically at the wheel, but the same could not be said for him mentally. While both his eyes were trained on the road ahead of him, he seemed lost in his own thoughts. He cared nothing for the chunks of dirt that he was getting all over his own car. Instead, he drove with the single-minded determination, as though salvation lay in the form of the building they were headed towards.

In the seat next to the dirt-covered half-man, half-robot was Starfire. She sat up very straight in the seat, and stared out of the windscreen with such concentration it was as if the plans of the man in black had been written all over the glass in front of her. Her hair was matted, and bits of gravel and dirt were stuck in it, but she did not seem to mind. Something else was taken up a large share of her thoughts.

The backseat contained the inert form of Beast Boy, whose head lay on Raven's cloak-covered lap. Unlike the other two Titans, Raven kept her head down and her eyes trained on the dirt-streaked face of the green boy who shared the backseat with her. There was an empty look in her eyes. Beast Boy was like a statue; it was only on closer look that one could discern his chest rising and falling rhythmically. But he was taking shallow breaths, and that was why Cyborg was now speeding them straight towards the Titans Tower and the infirmary.

Time was running out for Beast Boy, and none of them liked to think about what would happen to their teammate if it actually did.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

_There was a noise, a muffled boom in the distance._

"_What's that?" the Boy asked, looking past the Beast._

_The Beast remained silent._

"_Who is it?" the Boy demanded to know._

"_Don't you already know?" the Beast smiled._

_And now it was the Boy's turn to keep quiet._

"_It's Him," said the Beast, "it's the Shadow."_

**XXXXXXXXXX**

It seemed like an eternity before the T-Car finally pulled up into the dimly lit garage of the Titans Tower. Cyborg killed the engine and wasted no time in popping open the car door. Next to him, Starfire did the same and stepped out of the front seat. Raven remained in her seat and Cyborg came around to the back to open the car door.

When he had the door open, Raven gently lifted Beast Boy's head and shoulders while Cyborg got a grip on the Titan's lower body. It was a procedure performed in absolute silence, with no using of any powers at all. Beast Boy was brought into Cyborg's strong arms and he lay there like a tiny child, looking very small and vulnerable. It was hard to believe that just a few minutes ago he had been the monstrous beast raging an attack on his fellow teammates.

Raven slipped out of the backseat and shut the car door, then turned to face Cyborg. Out of the corner of her eye she sensed Starfire leaving the garage, no doubt heading towards the infirmary to prepare the room for its patient.

Standing there, Raven took a deep breath.

She knew full well what she'd done, and it was something that she should have tried to, at all costs, avoid. But she had done it, and Cyborg knew that. Even though at that moment it had seemed as though she had no a choice, that the only way had been to seize control of Cyborg's powers and take the shot for him, Raven knew that she could have done something else.

"I did the first thing that came to my mind," she said quietly, not wanting to meet his eyes.

"He _hesitated_," Cyborg replied, then realized that Raven had not seen what he had. "I saw his eyes soften."

"He broke through my shield."

"I could have taken the shot then."

"I just… I thought you weren't going to."

"You shouldn't have assumed that."

"I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too."

Cyborg turned his back and began to walk through the doors that led out of the garage and into the Tower. Raven watched her friend's retreating back for a few seconds, watched as it grew smaller and smaller until it disappeared into the interior of the Tower.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**A/N: **Okay, this chapter is very weird, I know. I think the characters were a little out of character especially in this last section and I'm not quite so sure what I was thinking when I wrote that, except I know that it wasn't very nice of Raven to have made Cyborg take that shot. Hmm… I doubt that came across nicely, though. Apologies. Now let's put that behind us and thank the reviewers!

Thanks to (this is becoming a habit):

**Overactive Mind** – Man, your theory about Beast Boy asexually reproducing really cracks me up! Unfortch, you gotta keep guessing!

**WickedWitchoftheSE **– Right, but throughout the episode of 'The Beast Within', Cyborg was quite reluctant to shoot Beast Boy, so I guess I was just picking up that thread to write about!

**acosta perez jose ramiro **– Glad you liked the chapter! I personally like the Robin-Villain fight too… Thanks for reviewing!

**AureliusXsoul **– Yes, I made up the villain. Sadly, I think we will go through this story without an official name for him… Well, I'm really glad you like the story so far and I appreciate your reviews!

**Das Ubermann **– Thanks for the review! Yes, I've especially crafted the villain just so.

**Queen of Ravens **– Well, as of now, Robin doesn't look like he's winning! You'll get to see in the next chapter. Thank you for following this story!

**Balkoth **– I must say, I'm not very proficient in Tamaranean either, but I think the really bad insult, the one with the racial thing, was 'troq'. Since Starfire called Beast Boy a 'clorbag' once, I thought it wouldn't hurt to call him that again. But I do apologise if any readers have felt that the word was wrongly employed!

All right, that sums it all up for replies to reviewers! Please do continue giving feedback and stuff so that I can better improve future chapters!

**Next Update: August 20**


	14. Knockout

**A/N: **GARH! The page lines still aren't working! Is it Fanfiction or is it just my computer?

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans. Darn.

**XIV**

**Knockout**

"Whom are you working for?"

Robin ran at the man in black for the third time. He dodged a fist that came flying dangerously close to his face, then lashed out a foot, hoping to catch the man squarely in the jaw. However, it was the man who caught Robin's foot in his hands. There was only enough time for Robin's eyes to widen in shock before the man twisted his foot to the left. There was a loud crack and another cry of pain from the leader of the Teen Titans, and then another explosive punch sent the teenage hero tumbling a few feet backwards.

Robin felt the hard ground through his gloves. His right hand was already numb with pain, his chest and stomach hurt more than ever, his back was throbbing and now he was limping. In front of him stood the man in black, still maddeningly calm and composed.

The man made a clicking noise against the roof of his mouth with his tongue. He almost seemed to smile, but in the dark Robin could not be too sure. "Getting a little desperate, are we, Robin? What makes you think that I'm working for someone?"

From his position on the ground, Robin glared at the man. "I only have one question that I want answered," he said hoarsely.

"I'm afraid the game is over," said the man, pleasantly enough. What he did next, however, was far from pleasant. Robin felt invisible strings pulling him off the ground and into the air, and although the man had not moved a muscle, Robin knew that he was using his telekinetic abilities to do this.

"And you've lost."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The infirmary in the Titans Tower was one of the quietest places in the entire residence, and it was to this sanctuary of healing and tranquility that the three Titans, along with the unconscious fourth, made their way. Starfire had flown on ahead so that by the time Cyborg and Raven entered the room through the large sliding doors, they found the bed by the window already made. Cyborg gently laid Beast Boy down onto the soft cotton sheet, and made sure the Titan's head was resting against the smooth pillow before relinquishing his hold on the green teen.

"Please," said Starfire, "Beast Boy will make it, will he not?"

Raven felt a lump rise in her throat, and she avoided Starfire's gaze. Cyborg opened his mouth and made as if to say something, but then closed it and let an awkward, sad silence fill the room for a few seconds.

"We need to hook him up," Cyborg finally said, and moved towards a trolley on which was a large electronic device that was similar to a computer. Cyborg began to fiddle with some wires and straps that were attached to the machine.

Meanwhile, Starfire proceeded to slowly strip the already torn uniform from Beast Boy's frame, being extra careful not to aggravate his injuries. Raven stood by the bedside watching, though it was hard to tell whether she was looking at Starfire or Beast Boy; after several seconds she made her way to the counters at the side of the infirmary. Moments later came the sound of running water, followed by a soothing swishing noise.

By the time Starfire had exposed the top half of Beast Boy's body to the cool air of the infirmary, Raven returned to the bedside with a white cloth in a small basin filled with medicated water.

"May I?" Starfire extended her hands towards the items that Raven held.

"I can handle it," Raven replied, and squeezed the water out of the cloth she had in her right hand.

"Starfire, I need some help over here," came the sound of Cyborg's voice. As Starfire moved over to where the trolley with the electronic monitor was, Raven looked up and saw that Cyborg's face was tense, as though he was racing against time to prevent a bomb from exploding in their faces. He spoke in low tones, and she knew that he was trying very hard to keep the urgency out of his voice.

Blood and smears of dirt came off Beast Boy's skin and onto the damp cloth that Raven was using. She dipped the cloth back into the water and watched as the stains swirled through the once colourless liquid, staining it with clouds of red and brown. Starfire approached Beast Boy with a pair of small, white circular pads attached to white wires that were connected to the electronic device that Cyborg was twiddling away at.

Starfire fixed both sensor electrodes onto Beast Boy's temples, and then went back for another pair, which she fixed onto his chest. In the meantime, Raven finished the wipe down and began to heal what small cuts she could find on Beast Boy's body.

**o o o**

Five minutes later they had the unconscious teenage superhero hooked up to the monitor, which had flickered to life and was now showing the vital statistics of their teammate. The occasional beep that came from the machine was the only sound in the infirmary. Cyborg was watching the monitor closely. Raven was standing by the bed, her gaze trained on Beast Boy but her eyes lost in thought. Starfire was standing at the foot of the bed, looking at both Cyborg and Raven.

"Perhaps we might find comfort in the soda and junk food?" Starfire ventured.

The others knew what she was getting at. It was pointless, not to mention nerve-wracking, to have to stand by a bedside and do nothing except wait for results that were being processed by a beeping monitor. Getting some sustenance was a fine suggestion from Starfire, except none of them felt like eating at a time like this.

"Maybe… maybe we should clean ourselves up," Raven said unconvincingly. She looked over at Cyborg's metal armour, which was covered in scratches, soil and dust, and then looked down at her own cloak, which was torn and dirt-caked.

"No," Cyborg said, tapping something out on the keyboard that was attached to the screen, "the stats will be out in a couple of secs. I'm not leaving here till they're out."

"Neither am I," Raven added.

"Then we will all stay," Starfire concluded firmly.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

There was no use struggling, so he just let himself be pulled up into the air while, all the time, his mind was working furiously to think of different ways in which he could escape from the clutches of the man in black.

"That's enough fun for tonight," the man said, "now, if you don't mind, I'd like to get back to business with my new pet."

"No!" Robin was not going to let this villain get away a second time, and once he felt the invisible grip on him slacken as a force flung him back against the brick wall behind, he summoned all his strength and did a somersault in midair, before landing on the ground with his two feet.

The man in black lashed out a leg in an attempt to trip Robin, but Robin jumped into the air and released a little trick of his own- a tiny red disc that whizzed towards the man in black and exploded into a smoke cloud that hid Robin from view. With this as a cover, Robin wasted no time in making a move he was sure would catch the man in black by surprise. What he did not expect, however, was for the man to make the move first.

This move came in the form of a long black arm that shot out from the smoke screen and grabbed the front of Robin's uniform. It was this arm that brought him unnerving close to the black bandanna-covered face of the villain he so desperately wanted to catch.

"Nice try," said the man in black.

There were very few times in his life when Robin allowed the feeling of hopelessness to overwhelm him, accepted the knowledge that somehow he would be defeated by his opponent. He felt it once when he was convinced that Slade had – unknown to the rest of his teammates – infiltrated the Tower. Robin had fought with his nemesis one on one, and he still remembered the feeling of cold dread that had gripped his heart so strongly it seemed as though it never wanted to let go. And now as the man held him, he felt the same steady terror building in his chest. Only the last time he'd felt it was during a fight which had been entirely a product of his imagination. This time, however, the circumstances were very real.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

When the staccato beeps from the machine dissolved to form a single, continuous, high-pitched electronic whine, it was Cyborg who was the first to get his hands on the keyboard. Starfire curiously sidled up behind him to try to decipher the complicated diagrams on the screen. For the next several seconds, the tapping of Cyborg's fingers on the keys were the only sounds in the room.

"Something's wrong," Cyborg said, his eyes glued to the screen.

"What's wrong?" Raven asked. She kept an eye on the still inert form of Beast Boy, who was lying on the bed with eyes closed.

There was the sound of more typing, then Cyborg looked up. "The analysis," he said in the tone of someone thoroughly confused, "is telling me that Beast Boy is perfectly fine."

Raven shot a sharp look at Cyborg, but said nothing.

"You mean," Starfire clarified, "the chemicals are not the cause of Beast Boy's strange behaviour?"

"The screen says he doesn't have any foreign traces in him – he's clean. There aren't _any _chemicals."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The moment Robin felt the man's fist connect with the soft area under his ribs, he knew he was never going to be able to land so much as a punch on the man. This man not only knew how to fight, he knew how to paralyse his victims, and Robin was no exception. The Boy Wonder felt the knuckles dig deeper into his flesh with a sickening twist, and then the man's foot caused another explosion of pain in his right knee. Seconds later, Robin was staring at the bits of gravel inches away from his face.

He tried to make a sound, but all that came out of his mouth was spittle and blood.

Every move he made seemed to drive a thousand needles past his flesh and right into his very bones, but still he staggered to his feet, swaying unsteadily like a drunk.

The man stood facing him, tall and impeccably straight. Robin lunged messily towards the black blur in front of him.

The scuffle was short and straightforward. The man caught his fist before he even got anywhere near his target. Robin screamed as, with a practiced movement, the man twisted his arm around his back. This was accompanied by an unwelcome crack and a bomb of pain all along his left elbow.

The man brought his mouth next to Robin's ear and with a whisper so soft Robin thought he almost imagined it, said, "Lights out."

The next thing Robin knew was that he was facedown on the ground and the man was delivering three brutal and well-aimed kicks at him; each one hurt more than the last. And when the familiar invisible force drew him up into the air for one last glimpse of the black figure, Robin could barely open his eyes.

There was the sound of rushing air, and then Robin felt the hard metal all but break his back. Before his face hit the pile of trash he'd fallen into, his vision went black.

By that time, the man was long gone.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**A/N: **So, there we are! We're on the brink of cracking this mystery about Beast Boy becoming the beast, but the answers will only be revealed in the next chapter. Robin doesn't seem to be in good shape – let us all hope that he makes it out OK.

Well I looked at the number of reviews I've gotten so far and hey… we've reached 90. Why not make it a **100** with this chapter? If you're reading this story and you haven't reviewed if the number of reviews hasn't reached 100, **just add a little comment** about how much you like/hate the story – **go ahead, it won't kill you** (I hope).

As always, I am eternally grateful for those who have reviewed, and I have been receiving some very interesting reviews. –raises eyebrow- I like it when people express their views, especially about the whole Beast Boy mystery thing.

Thanks to:

**Chrosis** – Yes, I know that the beast initially protected Raven in that episode (-gush- I love that episode _a lot_). But in this story, Beast Boy (and thus the beast) is different. So… yes.

**The Hidden Girl** – Hello! You've really kept yourself hidden, from the review page, I mean. Lol. I enjoyed reading your review and I must say, some of your theories made a lot of sense but unfortunately that's not what happens! That's great, I'm glad that none of the characters seemed OOC because character is the one thing I always aim to capture accurately. Thank you for reviewing!

**acosta perez jose ramiro **– Yes, the villain is _very _good at fighting. Don't worry… I'll never make Beast Boy die, so Raven won't beat herself up over having blasted Beast Boy with Cyborg's sonic cannon. Thanks for the comments!

**Overactive Mind **– Hello! A weird review… I understood your remark about "Never underestimate the power of…" but… Are you trying to give me a hint or something? I'll consider the remark! I think I've let you done on the BBRae bedside fluff because, as you can see, Beast Boy is quite 'dead'. Still, I hope you enjoyed the update!

**AureliusXsoul **– Thank you for the review, and I'm also glad that you didn't find the characters OOC. Yes! As you can see, the answers are (finally) taking shape and most of the mystery will be solved in the next few chapters… because the story is ending. Soon.

**toxic-dreamer-2 **– I'm glad you liked the previous chapter. I hope this one is just as good!

**Queen of Ravens** – Yes, I think it was pretty mean of Raven to do that, but at least she's sorry, huh? Ah, don't worry. Robin's in no shape to scold Beast Boy. And anyway, Beast Boy's like, totally passed out. Haha!

**Next Update: August 25**


	15. Soul Search

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans.

**XV**

**Soul Search**

He was left to a blinding darkness and a suffocating silence that threatened to seep into every orifice and clog his insides with its emptiness. Strange images swam past his eyes in a haze of colour, but they were gone before he had the time to focus on any of them. He felt as though he had plunged into the sea and stayed that way; the walls of water blocked out all sound, so when Robin first heard the tiny voice at the back of his head he thought he was dreaming.

_They need you_, the voice said, _get up_.

He could not. Every limb of his was numb, every muscle ached and every vein throbbed in agony.

_Come on_, said the voice, _get up. Now_.

No. He did not want to anymore. He had been defeated, brought down without even managing to find out what the villain's plan was.

_You know his plan_, the voice insisted, _you can stop him_.

How? Robin could see no other way out. He had been overcome, and there was nothing, absolutely nothing he could do. He had failed; he had failed Beast Boy and he had failed his entire team.

_It's all in your mind, Robin_, the voice came again.

No… he didn't know the plan. He knew nothing about the man, so how could he know about the plan?

_Then let me show you…_

**o o o**

The sliver of light opened up into a yawning hole filled with brilliant, blinding rays and Robin's eyes snapped open wide. All around him was junk: empty cans crawling with ants, rotting banana peels, old newspaper and a ton of other rubbish he couldn't care less about. The Boy Wonder pushed his aching body out of the large rubbish bin and dropped onto the street, winded.

He got from hands and knees to just knees only and finally staggered to his feet. The name that hung on his breath escaped it in a raspy whisper and was carried off by the cool breeze into the night sky high above the sleeping Jump City.

"Raven…"

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_The Boy waited, but nothing happened._

_The Beast looked into the distance and was silent._

"_He's coming, isn't he? He's coming here?" The Boy asked._

"_Yes," said The Beast._

"_How can we stop him?" The Boy asked._

"_We can't."_

"_What does he want?" The Boy asked, "What does The Shadow want?"_

"_Us."_

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"No chemicals?" Starfire exclaimed. She stared at the screen for a few seconds, then turned to look at the unconscious form of Beast Boy lying on the bed. "But we saw the Beast! And it tried to kill us! How is it that Beast Boy is still normal?"

"I don't know, Star, but the computer says so," Cyborg looked equally perplexed.

"Let me see the results for the full body scan," Raven said as she came up behind Cyborg.

Cyborg tapped at the keyboard, and a small window appeared at the side of the screen. With a few deft clicks, he enlarged the window and Raven studied the bright red graphs and bars and moving lines on display. Starfire looked on at her two friends, perplexity written all over her face.

"That's strange," Raven murmured, "his neuro-activity is off the charts."

"It doesn't make any sense…" Cyborg said with a frustrated sigh.

Raven's eyes flashed.

"Yes," she said, "yes it _does_."

Starfire came forward, stepping closer to Raven and Cyborg. "Please," the Tamaranean said, "I do not understand." It was an invitation for Raven to explain, and as the two pairs of eyes focused on the cloaked girl, she began to speak.

"The readings are right – Beast Boy hasn't been infected by the chemicals; he only _thinks _he has." An image flashed before her eyes: _a large round mass of black that pulsated, red around the edges_. "The man in black somehow found a way to mentally convince Beast Boy that he did come into contact with the chemicals… That's why we didn't catch him leaving the Tower to steal the box. He didn't leave the Tower. _He only left it in his mind_."

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Robin gripped the handle of the R-Cycle with one hand. His other hand was pressed hard against his abdomen, which was hurting now more than ever.

The R-Cycle sped across the roads, heading straight towards the Tower.

Robin hoped he could get there in time.

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"In his mind? You mean Beast Boy stole the things with his mind?" Cyborg frowned.

"No," Raven answered, "but someone probably went to great lengths to steal the objects and ensure that Beast Boy would be framed."

"So Beast Boy is okay?" Starfire asked.

"No. Beast Boy is not okay." Raven detached herself from the others and walked towards the bed on which the green Titan lay. "As long as he thinks he has been contaminated by the chemicals, he will not be able to control the Beast. The Beast will control him, and now that the man in black has the jewel, he will find a way to control Beast Boy."

"What are we going to do?" Cyborg asked.

"Robin!" Starfire exclaimed all of a sudden, "Robin will know what to do!" She looked hopefully at Raven, who avoided her gaze.

"Robin's not here."

"Raven's right, Star. We can't wait for Robin to show. We don't even know where he is. If BB's in danger, we've got to help him out, and fast. Raven – you got a plan?"

"Just one."

"It better work."

**o o o**

"Azareth, Metron, Zinthos."

Raven took a deep breath and closed her eyes, allowing the familiar waves of serenity to dispel all worries and troubles from her mind. _Breathe_, she thought, _breathe and let go_. She barely felt the ground fall away from her feet as she assumed her usual cross-legged position for meditation. She tuned out the sounds from the infirmary as one would turn the volume down on the radio, and very soon Raven was floating in a vacuum, free from all worldly baggage, and empty enough to embark on a search for a soul.

Something tugged at her from above, and slowly, steadily, an unbearable lightness overcame her body. As her soul floated up and out, it gathered momentum and headed straight towards the intended target.

**o o o**

Cyborg and Starfire watched as a large black raven erupted from the body of their teammate, who was sitting cross-legged on air. Their surroundings darkened momentarily, so when the infirmary doors opened behind them, Cyborg and Starfire did not detect the stream of light that entered along with someone else. It was only when they heard a voice shout that they both turned around in surprise. The voice had shouted "NO!", and the voice had come from a bedraggled-looking Robin. One arm outstretched as if reaching for the black raven, his eyes widened as he took in the sight.

Raven's soul self hung in the air like a tangible shadow, then it sped straight towards Beast Boy and into him.

"RAVEN, _NO_!"

Robin lunged forward with all his might, but his hand passed through the wispy ends of the black shadow of a raven's tail to grasp only air.

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**A/N: **No more theories! The mystery has officially been solved in this chapter. It's short but hey – there is no doubt that things are happening and since we _are _getting to the end of the story (well, almost), things will start moving faster from here.

Well! What wonders a little paragraph from the Author's Note can do! I honestly did not expect such **great response** from all my readers so instead of getting 100 reviews, we shot to **110**! -round of applause-

My heartiest thanks to:

**Blues59** – Thank you for reviewing!

**toxic-dreamer-2** – Thank you for reviewing! Hope you enjoyed this chapter.

**KittyMojo** – Haha! I'm glad you like this story! Thanks for the review!

**Chrosis** – Yes, well, I'm glad that you see the villain as being extremely skilled and hard to beat. I won't say unbeatable… just hard to beat.

**Only Forever **– Hello! I'm glad you know you've been following the story; it's okay, you don't have to feel guilty about not reviewing! Yes, I feel that too much fluff isn't in character, so I try to strike a balance to make it interesting and not uncomfortably fluffy. I'll let you in on a little secret: I actually have most of the chapters written already, so when it comes around to Updating Day I'll add in the Author's Note and replies to reviewers and just upload it. That's how I keep to my deadlines! Well, thanks very much for reviewing!

**AureliusXsoul **– Hey, thanks for the review! I like visualizing fight scenes, but I'm getting tired of writing them… Lol. Oh, I would _never _kill off Beast Boy! He's my favourite, along with Raven! Well, I've made the romantic parts less romantic but still there, if you interpret them as such. I like to interpret certain details in the episodes romantically. I hope I'm making sense.

**acosta perez jose ramiro **– Thank you for the review! I'm glad you enjoyed the fight scenes.

**Queen of Ravens** – Haha! Sonic waves! Could be… Your theory is interesting… Unfortunately… that's not the case either! Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter… I think it has solved the mystery.

**Das Ubermann** – Yes, the beast has always been inside Beast Boy. Thank you for reviewing!

**BrokenNevermore** – Hello! Thank you; I've put quite some thought into the plot and the suspense just sort of came with it too! Again, thanks for reviewing, and no problem about not doing it sooner!

**The Hidden Girl** – Hey! Funny review! Amazing! You've hit the nail right on the head with your Mr. Black theory. Unfortunately… the characters have no idea how to put rabid squirrels, cotton candy, Mexico and a cork screw together to defeat him. -sad looks all around-

**Harley Q. **– I don't know if you'll read this since you seem to have only read up till Chapter 6. But if you do, thank you for reviewing and I'm sorry to say you've got to look extra hard for fluff.

**mattchew** – Thanks for the review! I'm afraid I can't really do anything to lengthen the chapters because I choose to stop at certain moments. Also, I myself prefer to read medium-length chapters because scrolling down an eternal page of words scares me.

**Overactive Mind** – Ah… I haven't read Animorphs but I know what you mean and I agree that Beast Boy is very powerful. I think they just don't want to make him use his powers to such an extent because then there wouldn't be teamwork in the episodes. It's the same for Raven – I think she is incredibly powerful. Thanks for the review!

**WickedWitchoftheSE** – Haha! I get your point, although it's pretty morbid. Thank you for the compliment; I try to write the story so that it reads like one of the real episodes, with the biggest difference being it's much longer and there actually is (sort of) a Beast Boy-Raven romance going on.

Well, we have finally got to the end of the long list of thank yous.

**Next Update: August 30**


	16. Trespassing the Mind

**A/N: **All right. I have the feeling that some readers are confused, which doesn't reflect well on my writing. The gist of it is: Mr. Black has somehow brainwashed Beast Boy into thinking he has been infected by the chemicals and has become the beast. Raven, with her ultimately cool powers, is going, no scratch that, has gone into Beast Boy's mind to try to convince him that he hasn't been infected by the chemicals, and that Mr. Black is just messing with him. Meanwhile, the mysterious Shadow, whom I've afraid to say is not Raven, seems to herald bad news for our poor Beast Boy. Geddit?

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Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans.

**XVI**

**Trespassing the Mind**

Raven opened her eyes. There was a sound in her ears, the sound of a soft sigh that never seemed to find an end. The sky was black, and it reminded her of outer space without the glittering stars; this darkness spiraled into heights far beyond comprehension so it hurt to look at it for longer than a few seconds. Beneath her feet was black sand fine and smooth to the touch, and although she could see that she was standing on a plain that stretched out in all directions for miles onwards, the way the black sky met with the black earth seemed to create walls that boxed her in.

But Raven knew exactly where to go, and she began to walk, heading straight for the two specks in the distance that had caught her eye.

Time and space seemed to play tricks on her; the landscape shimmered and the figures seemed farther away than ever, then when she blinked they were standing only a few meters away… Raven continued walking, and reached into her mind for a spell to ward away delusion, but the only help she received was from her familiar chant. It forced its way into the surface of her mind and hovered there, waiting for her to use it.

Raven frowned and almost stopped walking. She was sure there was a specific spell that could dispel illusions, but apparently none was coming to mind, except the one. It was unlike her to refuse the call of the chant, so she took a deep breath and gathered energy.

"Azareth, Metrion, Zinthos."

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"Robin! You are injured!" Starfire jumped forward and gently pulled Robin's hand away from Beast Boy's chest. Her green eyes filled with concern, she surveyed the damage that the man in black had inflicted upon the leader of the Teen Titans. Robin's cape was torn in many places, his tunic was ripped, caked in dirt and dried blood, and wherever bare skin showed, he was bruised and wounded.

But Robin staggered away from Starfire and rounded on Cyborg. "Why did you let her do that? Why didn't you wait for me to get back?" Starfire's eyes widened and she gripped Robin by the shoulders and pulled him away from Cyborg. This time, Robin sank into her arms as the strength left him completely.

Starfire encircled an arm around Robin's waist and led him to a chair nearby as Cyborg explained the situation. "Raven said he was in danger. We had to move fast. Robin… Beast Boy hasn't been infected with the chemicals. It's all in his mind–"

"I know."

"You know? You got the bad guy to spill the beans?"

"No."

"Then…?"

"Raven told me."

Starfire emptied the basin they had used to wipe the blood off Beast Boy and filled it with another round of medicated water. Robin proceeded to peel off his tunic, revealing more cuts and gashes.

"Raven told you?" Cyborg echoed.

"She was the one who got me to get up," he paused and inhaled sharply, then looked up at Cyborg, "he beat me up, Cyborg. I failed. I didn't get a word out of him."

"Fear not, Robin," Starfire placed an arm on Robin's shoulder. She turned him gently to look first at Beast Boy, who looked like he was sleeping peacefully on the bed. "_We _did not fail."

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Raven let out a gasp as, with a soft 'pop', the two figures she had been struggling to make her way towards appeared in the once empty air in front of her.

They were not what she had expected, but then again, she had never been in Beast Boy's mind and didn't know _what_ to expect. She looked at the figures, but they were like two odd shapes swimming before her eyes. There seemed to be an invisible veil that prevented her from seeing what they truly were. Another illusion, Raven thought. She decided to speak to them all the same. If they were inhabitants of Beast Boy's mind, they certainly were connected to her friend.

"I want to see Beast Boy," she demanded.

"Beast Boy?" both the figures spoke in unison.

"I am The Boy," said the figure on the left.

"And I am The Beast," said the figure on the right.

"But there this no Beast Boy," both concluded together.

And suddenly the veil lifted and she could see them clearly. Raven stumbled backwards, managed to stop herself from tripping and brought her eyes to the figures once again. The one on the left was indeed a boy. He had unruly charcoal coloured hair and large, expressive emerald green eyes. He was a little bit shorter than Raven, and scrawny. Except for the hair and his skin, which was only slightly darker than Raven's, he looked every bit like Beast Boy.

The figure on the right, Raven saw, was a miniature version of the beast form that Beast Boy had turned into when infected by the chemicals. Something clicked inside Raven as she stared at the two figures. _The Beast and The Boy_, she thought, _are the two sides of Beast Boy's person_.

Raven looked at The Boy and The Beast, and they looked back at her. She struggled to process her thoughts. The fact that The Boy and The Beast were now two separate entities meant that Beast Boy was not only struggling with the man in black's mind control, he was also struggling with _himself_.

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_The Girl's eyes blazed white, and The Boy stepped back, frightened._

"_I want to see the _real _owner of this mind," The Girl said in a low voice that meant business._

"_I told you," stammered The Boy, "I'm the only one here." The Boy pointed to The Beast, "Even _he _is an intruder!"_

"_Where have you hid him?" The Girl took a step closer._

"_Nowhere! Who? I don't know!" The Boy cried._

"We _don't know." The Beast appeared behind The Girl. The Boy watched with wide eyes as The Beast advanced menacingly towards The Girl._

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Back in the infirmary at the Titans Tower, the rest of the team was found gathered around Beast Boy. Starfire and Cyborg had cleaned themselves of all vestiges of the fight against Beast Boy, and Robin too had been properly bandaged and was wearing a fresh, clean suit. All three were seated on plastic chairs surrounding the bed, and each pair of hands was wrapped around a mug of hot tea, which they were drinking in an attempt to calm their nerves. At the foot of the bed, hovering over them all like some protective angel was Raven – or rather, Raven's form.

"So," Robin said, "if the man in black can control minds, why didn't he just get Beast Boy to attack us all? Why go through all the trouble of planting fake memories in his head?"

"Maybe it isn't trouble," Cyborg speculated, "maybe it's _easier _to plant the memories and let Beast Boy string them all together… It could mean that the man in black isn't that strong in the department of mind control."

"But now that he has possession of the jewel and the box," Starfire voiced her fears, "he will be stronger."

"Then it'll only be a matter of time before he takes full control of Beast Boy's mind," Robin's eyes narrowed behind his mask.

"And time is the one thing we _don't _have," Cyborg added, glancing worriedly at Beast Boy.

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Raven summoned black energy into her fists.

"Stay back," she warned the green beast behind her. Turning slightly, she saw it look at her hands. "I can hurt you." She turned back to face the one who bore uncanny resemblance to Beast Boy, "I can hurt _both_ of you."

"Please," the boy said, staring up at her with eyes that, time and time again had managed to stop her heart beating by a fraction, "go away. Leave us alone. You're not supposed to be here."

"I want to see Beast Boy," Raven demanded again, not budging.

"The Beast-Boy isn't here," said the man-beast, who was still behind her, "The Beast-Boy was never here." She could feel him inch closer to her, and she didn't like it.

"You're lying."

The man-beast emitted what sounded like a chuckle, and inched even closer.

"I said, stand back."

The beast smiled, showing sharp white teeth; it did not seem intimidated by her threats at all. The boy, on the other hand, the one who looked so much like Beast Boy, stepped away from Raven. All around them everything remained implacably black and the air still hummed a long, continuous soft sigh. Raven was hopelessly trapped between an aggressive beast and an excessively timid boy, and neither of them seemed willing to yield the real owner of the mind. So she did the only thing that made sense to her. She called out for him.

"BEAST BOY!"

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**A/N: **Creepy, creepy. Seriously, those two are creeping me out. The Boy and The Beast, I mean.

So, I think this chapter is pretty straightforward. Remember how Beast Boy went into Raven's mind in 'Nevermore'? Well, I thought it'd be fun to have it the other way around and let me just say, Beast Boy's mind isn't a very fun place after all. Maybe that's why he makes up for it with all his lame jokes.

But anyway, thanks to the reviewers!

**The Hidden Girl** – Lol! Mr. Black doesn't exactly want Raven… I think he wants Beast Boy more. But yeah, I'd never kill off any of the characters so Robin lives. Sigh. (Thanks for reviewing!)

**Overactive Mind** – Questions, questions. No, I don't think Mr. Black exposed himself to the chemicals; he just robbed the stores and made scratch marks on the stuff etc, which I should think is pretty easy to accomplish without having to turn yourself into a raging man-beast. The Shadow is definitely not Raven, is definitely bad and might end up damaging Raven. Sounds good? We'll see in the later chapters! Ah, Robin's lunge? He just wants to be in on the action all the time, and anyway I thought it would be dramatic for him to do that.

**Balkoth** – Hello! Long time no see. I know, Robin got beaten up real bad, but one of the best things of writing it like the cartoon is that somehow Robin always makes it out alive. So… I guess there is a need for some suspension of disbelief here. Thanks for coming back to read and review and yes, the main action of the story is coming very soon.

**acosta perez jose ramiro** – Thanks for reviewing! Hmm… Everyone seems to think that the villain wants Raven, but really, I think he didn't plan for her to be able to enter people's minds! But you're pretty much on the right track here!

**AureliusXsoul** – Haha, Robin is always freaking out about something or another. I think the main reason why he's freaking out is because they went ahead and carried out the plan without consulting him first, that bigheaded, pompous… Okay, I'll stop here. Thanks for the review!

**Dust-in** – Haha, I always end with cliffhangers. At least, I try to. Thank you for reviewing!

**WickedWitchoftheSE** – Why is what bad? Oh dear… you're confused. As in, really confused about the plot or just… saying you're confused? I hope the Author's Note in the beginning of this chapter helped you get your bearings. If not, please post a review indicating what you don't understand and I can help "un-confuse" you.

The same goes for any reader who is confused! Please don't hesitate to ask questions because some things are not implied in the chapters (i.e. I don't choose to write out everything) so there might be a need to fill in some gaps.

**Next Update: September 4**


	17. Crossing Over

**A/N: **Apologies for the late update.

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Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans. Darn.

**XVII**

**Crossing Over**

_The Boy put his hands over his ears as the unearthly sound echoed throughout the space. He felt horrible, like his heart was going to burst._

"_Stop it!" The Boy screamed. "The Shadow will hear you!"_

_The Girl took no notice. Instead, she kept her head tilted to the dark heavens and shouted for The Beast-Boy again._

_Behind her, The Beast began a low growl._

"_You heard what he said," The Beast snarled._

"_I'm warning you," said The Girl, whirling around to face The Beast, "if you come any closer…"_

"_Stop!" The Boy screamed, but this time it was at The Beast._

_There was a whirl of green and a flash of black…_

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She had not intended to do what she did, but circumstances had forced the dark energy from her palms and into the body of the man-beast. As the blackness completely enveloped the struggling animal, Raven heard another scream and sensed the boy lunging towards her. She picked him up easily with energy from her left hand, but as she held both figures up into the air, she felt the uneasiness well up in her chest.

She was not supposed to do this.

Minds were sacred, not to be trespassed and certainly not to be harassed, yet here she was holding the two parts of Beast Boy captive. Something deep inside her was forcing her to remember the day when Cyborg and Beast Boy accidentally invaded her mind through her meditation mirror. They hadn't touched any of her mind-forms, even though it was probably because of a lack of knowledge about what they were, but she knew that what she was doing now was way over the line.

"Beast Boy! _Where are you_?" Raven screamed, exasperated.

With all her might she probed through the pounding heart of the boy, the churning heart of the beast and right into the darkness of the heart of the mind she was in until, in her mind's eye, she found him – curled up on the floor of oblivion.

Her eyes met his.

"_Raven… let me go."_

She dropped the two figures, and it took several seconds for her to realize that they had turned into one person, and that it was Beast Boy kneeling on the sand in front of her.

Instinct propelled her forward, made her extend her arms to grab his shoulders and lift him up. He offered no resistance, and seemed almost glad for the support.

Her eyes drank in the sight of him there, before her, in the flesh – or almost. His dark green hair was as it always looked, slightly ruffled, as though he'd just woken up and hadn't bothered to comb it. His skin – every green inch of it – was free from any of the cuts that his physical self bore. She could even see the tip of his tiny fang tooth that stuck out above the rest of his teeth. What had changed were his eyes; his eyes looked duller, the spark in them had gone out like a fuse.

Then suddenly Beast Boy stiffened and gripped her by the shoulders. "Raven!" he exclaimed, as though noticing her for the first time, "you've got to get out of here! The man–"

"Beast Boy, calm down, just _calm down_," she tried to stop his frantic cries.

"No, get out!" He wrestled himself free from her grip. "It's dangerous… _I'm _dangerous. I–"

"Beast Boy, _listen to me_. The chemicals, the Beast, the robberies: they were all in your mind. They weren't _real_."

"No… it can't be!"

"It is. _Trust me_."

"But… but I turned into the beast! I'm dangerous!"

"Wake up, Beast Boy."

"I won't! I don't want to hurt you," Beast Boy said, "or the team. If I wake up, it'll only be a matter of time before I go crazy again."

Before Raven could answer, something sent her flying backwards, away from Beast Boy.

"Raven!"

She hit an invisible wall and winced as pain shot through her legs. A second later a green hawk landed next to her and sprang up as Beast Boy.

"What was that?" Raven asked, scrambling to her feet. She raised the hood of her cloak without the use of her hands.

"The Shadow," Beast Boy said grimly.

"Is it a part of your mind?"

"No."

"Then…?"

"I just call it The Shadow."

"The Shadow?"

Then everything clicked into place.

"The Shadow… he's the mental manifestation of the man in black. The jewel must have allowed him to enter your mind." Raven looked at Beast Boy, who stared back at her.

"Is this the part where I scream?" he asked nervously, and she wondered how on earth he could crack a joke at a time like this.

"He's doing more than trying to control you; he's trying to take over your mind."

Beast Boy's eyes widened, "I didn't think that was possible…"

"_It is."_

There was no mistaking the smooth voice that answered him; it was a voice that belonged to the man in black.

Raven grabbed Beast Boy's shoulders and forced him to face her. "Listen, Beast Boy," she said urgently, "I have a plan–"

Before she got any further, Beast Boy was ripped out of her hands and sent flying. He landed heavily on the sand a few feet behind Raven. Narrowing her eyes, she could just make out, in front of them, a faint, towering shape that was hard to distinguish given the fact that it shared the same colour as the surroundings of Beast Boy's mind. The soft echo of silky laughter resounded through the space.

Raven's eyes blazed white.

"Get out of his head."

"_I was just going to say the same to you."_

She found herself skidding backwards, and slammed into Beast Boy. Both of them fell onto the sand. Beast Boy was the first to react; he dragged Raven to her feet and, holding on to her right arm, began to run.

"You have to get out of here, now!"

"No."

Something hit the ground near their ankles and sand flew up into the air. Raven sent out a black energy disc behind them and a small explosion almost threw the two Titans off balance. They continued running and running until suddenly nothing touched them; the shadow seemed to have disappeared. Beast Boy placed his other hand on Raven's left arm.

"Raven, I can handle this. Go!"

"I'm not leaving you here like that."

Black energy shot up from the ground all around them and Beast Boy looked up with wide eyes as a wall made up of Raven's powers rose up towards the dark sky, enclosing the two of them in a circle, like a sanctuary. "Listen," Raven began, "listen to what I'm saying."

"I can't…"

"You have to let me in. You need to–"

"_I wouldn't do that if I were you."_

They only had a split second to lock eyes and see their own shocked expressions reflected in the irises of the other before Raven was flung high into the air and slammed invisibly into the ground. She landed with a loud thud.

"No! Raven!" Horrified, Beast Boy sprang towards her, but froze in his tracks.

"Beast Boy…" Pushing herself onto her knees, she looked up at him. He had both hands pressed to his head, and beads of sweat were trickling down his forehead. "Beast Boy? What's wrong?"

"_I don't think he can hear you."_

Raven staggered to her feet as Beast Boy fell to his knees. "What are you doing to him?" she shouted to the air as she rushed towards the green Titan.

"No! Get away from me! Get out of–" He didn't have time to finish his sentence as a fresh wave of pain seized hold of him.

Raven tried to calm him down mentally, but she sensed too much fear, anger and helplessness.

"Beast–" Something gripped Raven by her shoulders and hauled her into the air. She tried to struggle, but it was no use; whatever it was that had a hold of her, it was strong. "Beast Boy!" she shouted down to him, "don't give in! It's all in your mind… You _have_ to fight it!"

He looked up into her eyes, and something passed unspoken between them.

"_He's fighting, but I'm afraid he's losing."_

Gritting her teeth, Raven spat out at the space in front of her. "You're the one who's going to lose."

There was one more cry of anguish from the green Titan.

"Beast Boy–"

The air exploded in front of her.

"_RAVEN_!"

"_Trust _me…"

Then black.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**A/N: **Okay, that was an entire chapter dedicated to the events happening in Beast Boy's mind! Err… yeah. That's about it.

Thanks to those who reviewed! Sorry I don't have time to write out nice replies today, only quick one-liners, but rest assured you are all deeply appreciated! Thank you:

Overactive Mind – Lol, that's what I'd have Raven do too! 

**Das Ubermann **– Yes, Beast Boy's mind is dull, as opposed to his personality!

**WickedWitchoftheSE **– I'm glad you're not confused anymore!

**Balkoth **– I got the advice, will put it to use! Thanks!

**acosta perez jose ramiro **– Of course, I wouldn't expect my readers to know the plot and yes, you got it right- it's a Jekyll and Hyde thing!

**AureliusXsoul **– Haha yeah! Robin is really a big idiot. LOL

**The Hidden Girl **– How's UMass? Haha, I hope you get to read this chapter soon.

**Dust-in **– Yes, I love having cliffhangers at the end, so there!

**Silverchild of the winds** – Err, no. I don't read animorphs… Sorry!

**Next Update: September 12 **(Sorry, it's going to take a while!)


	18. Reconciliation

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans.

**XVIII**

**Reconciliation**

It had been hours since Raven's soul self had dove into Beast Boy's mind for answers, and during the first few of those hours, Robin, Starfire and Cyborg had taken to sitting around the infirmary bed, clasping mugs of hot tea in their hands and staring at Beast Boy. Occasionally, Starfire or Cyborg would catch Robin studying Raven's form intently, and although they wondered what their leader was thinking, they never once ventured to ask him. Finally, when the mugs no longer felt warm and reassuring in their grasps, and neither Beast Boy nor Raven showed any sign of life, the three waiting Titans found themselves growing tired; the fighting had left them hurt, sore and exhausted, and sleep was the only cure.

So they allowed themselves to drift off to sleep, which was why when Raven's head suddenly jerked up, eyes glowing white, it was only her scream and the crash that sounded when she was thrown forcefully against the infirmary wall that woke them up.

"Raven!" Robin jumped up, wide-awake. His first instinct, which he promptly carried out, was to rush to Raven's side. The girl was sprawled facedown on the floor, her hood had been thrown back and her cloak rumpled. He carefully lifted her by the shoulders and turned her face to him: her eyes fluttered open, then close. He shook her gently and called her name, which caused her lips to move ever so slightly. "Cyborg!" Robin shouted over his shoulder, "get over–"

"Uh… Robin? I think _you _need to get over here!"

Robin turned around and caught only a few seconds of a thrashing Beast Boy on the bed with two Titans standing staring dumbfounded before Beast Boy began to mutate. The covers of the bed were ripped apart by hands that grew into large paws with dangerous sharp claws attached to the ends. The bed itself began to sink under the increasing weight of the boy now turning beast, who let out a monstrous roar. Cyborg began to back away from the bed, but Starfire stood frozen with wide eyes.

"Starfire! Get back!"

For one horrifying moment it looked as though Starfire had not heard Robin – or perhaps she didn't react fast enough – because she was still standing next to the bed, only now the beast had leapt high into the air and was lunging straight towards her. Before Robin could react, Cyborg whizzed past him in a whirl of blue and grey and barreled Starfire out of the way, so that the beast landed on the floor instead of their Tamaranean friend, and skidded towards the doors of the infirmary.

The beast scrambled up and turned to face the Titans, a low growl in its throat, but this time it didn't attack. The Titans remained frozen in their various positions; all four of them were staring at the beast. The seconds ticked by…

And then the beast burst out of the doors, into the corridor and rounded the corner, disappearing out of sight.

"After him!" Cyborg yelled, giving chase.

Starfire flew out after him, and by the time Robin had heard the weak words that came from Raven's mouth, looked up and shouted "No, wait!", the two Titans had already left the infirmary.

* * *

_"Where is she? What did you do to her!" His anger transformed him into Triceratops, and he charged at the hazy shape in front of him. His sharp horns were useless, however, because The Shadow dispersed into a million directions and left him staggering blindly, in human form, around the area where it had been._

"_I swear, if you've hurt her–"_

"_I? Hurt her?" the voice seemed to come from everywhere. Frustrated, he whirled around on the spot and squinted into the darkness, but could only make out faint lines and blurs. The voice continued, "Look – you've already hurt her…"_

_There was incredible pain in every inch of his body, so he screamed. _

_Then everything went out._

_When he opened his eyes – was it only mere seconds later? – the first thing he saw was Raven, lying on the floor of the infirmary, with Robin holding on to her shoulders._

"_You see?" the voice continued, so saccharine it hurt to listen, "_you _did that."_

"_NO!" He shouted, and somewhere in the distance he heard a loud roar echo his thoughts._

_No… he hadn't done that. He'd never hurt Raven! What was going on?_

_In his frantic search for help his eyes fell upon the figure nearest to him: russet hair, purple tunic, wide green eyes… Starfire! She was his friend… she'd understand him! He leapt off the bed towards her, but something got in his way and then Starfire wasn't there anymore and he found himself sliding towards the door of the infirmary. He stopped himself, and turned back round to face his friends._

_Once again, the image of Raven on the floor swam into his vision, and this time it sought out another image he'd buried deep inside a box in his mind, a box that he'd never wanted to open again, but whose lid was now being pried loose forcefully so that undesirable pictures were beginning to flood past his eyes. There was Raven, stiff as a board, hovering inches off the same bed in the infirmary… There was Raven lying on the damp and dank floor of the sewer, cloak torn apart…_

_He'd done that. He'd done it all._

"_You see?" said the voice. It was in his ear now. "You can't keep on hurting her. You have to leave this place."_

_Leave? He wouldn't. He couldn't. They were his _friends

"_None of them are your friends anymore. Look at the way they look at you…"_

_Starfire, eyes wide in disbelief. Cyborg, brows furrowed in confusion. Robin, anger in every line of his face. And Raven…_

_No. He couldn't stay._

"_Follow me. Come to me."_

_So he burst out the doors of the infirmary and headed towards the Operations Center._

* * *

"He's heading for the Ops Center!" 

Cyborg barreled down the corridor, followed closely by Starfire as they made their way to the Operations Center. Ahead of them they could hear the faint scratching noises that the beast's claws made as the beast charged towards its destination.

**o o o**

The door to the Operations Center of the Titans Tower had hardly fully opened before the large green beast ploughed its way through, tearing up some of the metal. The beast headed for the large sofa on which the Titans usually gathered to watch movies or listen to disheartening broadcasts from the latest villains on their large computer screen. A few seconds later Cyborg dashed through the doors, metal parts glinting in the sunlight that streamed into the room from the large glass window that overlooked the bay.

"BB!" Cyborg yelled, "You're not infected with the chemicals! You _can _control what's happening to you! We just need you to calm down."

Behind the half-man, half-robot came Starfire, floating in the air. Her face had nothing but concern for her teammate. "Beast Boy!" she called out, "do not allow the man in black to control you!"

The beast, which was now standing on the sofa, growled at the two Titans facing it. Still, it made no move to pounce. Then, all of a sudden, it began to whine and paw at the sofa.

"Is he trying to say something?" Starfire asked Cyborg, who shook his head, confused.

"Something's wrong," deduced Cyborg, "it's like he can't turn back to Beast Boy."

A sound that came from behind them caused the beast's features to harden again, and this time it lowered itself and prepared to lunge, which it promptly did at Robin, who had entered running into the Operations Center.

"Robin!" Starfire gasped when she saw who the beast was headed straight for.

But Robin propelled himself into the air in a somersault and delivered a bone-crunching kick that sent the beast sprawling back into the sofa. This time, the beast did not try to attack again. Instead, it picked itself up and crossed the rest of the room in two bounds, and with this momentum, threw itself against the glass windows and out into the empty open air beyond.

"Beast Boy!" Starfire screamed, and flew straight at the hole in the window, only to hit a familiar black barrier that sprang up to block the opening. The Tamaranean landed with a heavy thud on the floor of the Operations Center. Still on the floor, she looked back to see the girl who had conjured the barrier.

Raven was standing in the doorway of the entrance to the Operations Center, hood raised, one hand pressed against her shoulder and the other outstretched in the direction of the glass window.

"Raven? Why did you–"

Robin caught Raven just as she fell to the ground, completely exhausted. Behind Starfire, the barrier dissolved into nothingness, and a breeze gushed into the Operations Center through the hole in the glass. Cyborg and Starfire rushed to their two teammates.

* * *

_He had to get out, so he rammed himself straight through the glass windows and out into the open air._

_There was a sound like fireworks all around him, but somehow he didn't hear it, because he had picked up another sound, softer but much nearer to him._

_It was the sound of a voice, but not the sweet, encouraging one he had been hearing. It was a familiar voice; it was unusually low for a girl, and with a very familiar dryness to it. This time the voice was pleading with him, and as he made his way across the rocks towards the place where he would be welcome, he heard the voice say, "Remember, Beast Boy. Remember the plan."_

_He squashed the voice into oblivion, landed lightly on the rocks and headed away from the Tower._

* * *

"What's going on? Why did she stop Starfire?" Cyborg addressed this question to Robin as the two boys helped the telepath up and the group made their way to the sofa. 

"We're too late; the man in black has already found his way into Beast Boy's mind. He's taking over Beast Boy – he was the one who forced Raven out. I don't know exactly what happened, but I think Raven may have gotten through to Beast Boy. What we need to do now is track down the hideout of the man in black and then launch an attack. If Raven's plan works and Beast Boy cooperates, we'll be able to defeat this villain once and for all," Robin explained as he lay Raven gently down on the sofa.

"Track down the hideout of the man in black?" Cyborg echoed incredulously, "but we just let Beast Boy get away!"

"Not really," Robin said as he flicked a switch on the remote. The large screen in front of the four Titans flickered to life to show an electronic map of Jump City. "I placed a self-destructing tracking device on Beast Boy when I tackled him just now. The device should tell us where the man's hideout is."

Sure enough, a bright blue dot had appeared on the screen, and the dot had begun to move along the outlines and shapes that were streets and buildings of Jump City.

"Beast Boy's leading us straight to the man in black," Cyborg said.

The four Titans watched the screen in silence, and each pair of eyes was glued to the large, blinking dot that wove its way through the map of the city. It continued moving for several seconds before stopping suddenly at the top right hand corner of the screen.

Robin fished out a tiny electronic device with a single red button and pressed it. As he did so, the blue dot on the screen disappeared.

"Got him."

* * *

**A/N: **Ahh, it's been a while. Terribly sorry about the delays, but I've been having **important examinations** that determine my future etc etc.

So here is Chapter 18- I hope it's of adequate length. I'm very glad that the lines function is back. Yay. Proper division for the story now. Well... Beast Boy seems pretty "beyond hope" now so I guess it's up to the Titans to see what they can do about their teammate. Raven _does _seem to have a lot of plans.

I'd like to thank all reviewers who reviewed the previous chapter! Due to the fact that I am rushing to upload this chapter now now NOW, I shan't be able to give you nice replies, but always know that I am terribly grateful to have such great reviewers like yourselves. Thanks very much!

Roll of Honour:

**Balkoth**

**AureliusXsoul**

**The Hidden Girl**

**Das Ubermann**

**WickedWitchoftheSE**

**Dust-in**

**Overactive Mind**

**Gothic Raven**

Updates will be slightly late now because (and I am embarrassed to admit this) I haven't actually finished writing the last few chapters for this story, so I have to write them and then post them, and that takes time - the writing, I mean. Apologies again. Please bear with my lack of organisation.

**Next Update: September 27**


	19. Full Force

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans. Sigh.

**XIX**

**Full Force**

Anyone in Jump City who was already awake at five in the morning would only have had to look out their window to catch sight of the large green beast skulking past, or would only have had to prick their ears to hear the sudden thud above their heads as it landed on their roof and then launched itself into the air again. One would have been able to tell that this strange, overgrown animal was making its way towards the East of Jump City, where the docks where, but one could not have known that it was following a voice in its head, a voice so sweet and so charming that, if heard by any other, would have been able to persuade the person to cheerfully abandon all links to life and jump into a river.

The beast landed on all fours, scattering bits of gravel around it. As it released a breath of hot air with a loud _whoosh _that sounded almost like a sigh, it seemed to say "I've reached my destination".

And indeed it had.

It was sitting in front of a large warehouse three blocks away from an old abandoned research facility. Nothing really evil hung around the building, but then no aura of goodness surrounded it as well. This warehouse towered above its neighbouring counterparts, and the large set of iron doors that was its entrance was sealed shut, so the animal sat facing the building, making no move to enter.

A light breeze wafted in from the docks and ruffled the green fur of the animal. Had anyone else been around at that time, they would have caught sight of a shock of red and yellow underneath the green fur. The exact identity of the source of colour was unknown until the object itself sparked and sizzled slightly. The beast, feeling the slight itch that the tiny electric current had induced, raised a leg and began to scratch at the area, much as how a dog would scratch itself while it sat. A swipe of the paw brought the device tumbling to the gravel, still undetected. The device lay there, illuminated slightly by the delicate rays of the rising sun. The object was round, with an outer rim of yellow and the rest of its surface red. What was more interesting, however, was the black 'T' emblazoned on its front, a 'T' very similar to the large T-shaped building that overlooked Jump City bay…

The sound of metal grinding against concrete drew the attention of the beast, which looked up in the direction of the big doors, which were slowly sliding inwards out of their own accord. The beast got to its feet and padded towards the entrance of the warehouse.

Once it vanished completely into the dark interior, the doors closed behind it, and the area outside the warehouse was left empty, except for the tiny red and yellow tracking device that Robin had slapped onto the beast just before it had leapt out of the Operations Center window.

* * *

In the midst of all the action that had taken place, he hadn't thought it possible that there could be a quiet moment to be found, but there they were, sitting side by side on the sofa. Cyborg and Starfire had left the Operations Center (on his request), which owed to the silence that now permeated the room.

The sun was just making its ascent into the sky; soft rays of light shone through the window – or what was left of it – and made Raven's hair shine. She was sitting with her hands folded across her lap, eyes closed. Robin could hardly tell whether she was meditating or just resting.

He continued staring at her, until she broke the silence. "Anything you want to say to me?"

Caught off guard, his hand automatically reached up to make contact with his hair. "Yeah," he replied, "are you sure you know what you're doing?"

"I think I've heard that one before," she said wryly.

"I'm just looking out for the team."

"I _know_ what I'm doing Robin."

"I'm sorry. It's just… you don't say very much to me. To any of us, for that matter."

"I have my reasons."

"Why won't you tell us more about the plan, Raven?" he pressed.

She evaded his question. "You shouldn't have told Cyborg and Starfire about it."

"We're a _team_, Raven. You told me about it; I had to give them an explanation for what you did."

"I shouldn't even have told you about it. It was a mistake."

"Why? I don't understand!"

She shifted in her seat, and turned slightly to face him. He looked into her eyes and saw ill-concealed worry.

"The man in black reads minds, Robin. If I told you, Cyborg or Starfire about the whole plan, do you think he wouldn't find out about it? _I_ have ways of protecting my mind from intrusion, and I want to keep it that way."

He broke the gaze with a sigh and turned to look out the window. He felt her do the same.

"What if the plan fails? Beast Boy… What if he _doesn't _cooperate?"

"He will."

"How do you know?"

"I told him to trust me."

"But how do you–"

"I told him to trust me."

She turned her gaze on him and once again he looked into her eyes, but this time there was something else other than worry in them.

They continued to sit, for what seemed like a long while, in silence.

"Robin…"

"Yes?"

"Promise me something."

"What's that?"

"Promise me you'll trust me–"

"Raven, I–"

"Promise me you'll trust me _no matter what happens_."

"I…"

He wasn't one to make blind promises; he wasn't one to go leaping into a battle without knowing what he was getting into, at least. But maybe this time he could make an exception.

"I promise."

**o o o**

"Robin? Raven?" Starfire's voice wafted over to them from the entrance of the Operations Center, "we are ready to go."

* * *

He knew, without even having to look, that the beast had entered the warehouse. Perhaps it was because the tension he usually felt when he tried to make contact with its mind was no longer strong enough to provide substantial resistance, or perhaps it was just the strong smell of animal that had wafted in through the open doors of the warehouse. Whichever it was, the green Titan was here, under his command, and that was all that mattered.

With greater ease than before, he mentally guided the beast past the rows of sealed wooden crates stacked high in the dusty, dark interior of the warehouse and straight through the grimy plastic sheets that cut off the back of the warehouse from the storage area in front. From then on it was through the scarcely visible opening that led to the flight of stairs down, which finally opened up into the large, cavern-like area he'd appropriated for this villainous uses.

As the beast emerged into a strip of light that filtered through the crack in the ceiling, the man in black turned to greet his latest addition to the team.

"Hello, Beast Boy – or, more fittingly, ex-Beast Boy. We have to think of a new name, but as you can see from the lack of mine I am a rather poor source of creative inspiration. I prefer to occupy my mind with more _intriguing _excursions."

A dark wooden box rose up slowly from the ground, and the glint of the diamond known as The Mind's Eye spilled brilliant dewdrops of light throughout the room and was gone in a second as the lid of the Impenetrable Box slammed shut. The man in black plucked the box from the air and tucked it into the folds of his cloak with a ceremonious flourish.

"And now that I've appropriated these very special and useful objects, my mind will be looking forward to greener pastures on which to graze."

The beast watched, motionless, its green eyes glimmering strangely in the dark.

"But enough talk," the man continued, "let's go."

He watched with something close to satisfaction as the beast padded softly across the floor of the room and into the shadows behind. The man turned to follow.

It could have been the glow that suddenly lit up the entire darkness, bathing it in an eerie neon green, or it could just as easily have been the four flickering shadows that loomed against the walls, illuminated by the unexpected burst of light, that made him know at once that they had arrived.

But it was the hard voice that rang out from the stairwell, "The only place you're going to is prison", that made him whirl around to face the Teen Titans.

"Well hello there, R–"

"Titans, GO!"

* * *

**A/N: **A terribly short chapter, I know, but I just had to split this section of the story into two chapters because if I continued writing it in the same chapter it would have been an incredibly long one. Apologies.

Okay, so the Titans have found their way to the man's hideout – not much of a place, if you ask me, but you didn't, so never mind – and what will follow is the big showdown.

Well! Lots of answers for those who made it to the Roll of Honour (and very easy it is to get into it, too, all you have to do is review the chapter), so let's get straight into that.

Roll of Honour:

**acosta perez jose ramiro**:

Thank you for the review! I'm glad you're enjoying the chapters, and I hope you like this one.

**kweandee**:

Hello! It's getting good because it's ending. I'm glad you've been following the story and thank you for reviewing as well!

**beautifulpurpleflame**:

Hello! Well, I'm glad you found this story too! Haha, thanks a lot for the review, and I hope you enjoy the rest of the story.

**AureliusXsoul**:

Yeah, I think that Beast Boy would be that kind of person, as in, he's nice and doesn't want to hurt people, so I thought he would leave. And don't worry, how could this story end with Beast Boy being evil? Or maybe it does…

**Balkoth**:

I always enjoy reading your reviews because they really review the story. You analyse the writing so sometimes it feels as though I'm reading a Literature essay (terrifying at times too, because I don't realize myself what a person can actually pick out from reading things I write on a whim). I'm glad you enjoyed the previous chapter, and I think your suggestion on switching the order of the perspectives was rather interesting, although never really though about their order, I just wrote it in a way that would make readers feel that Beast Boy was evil at first, and then after reading his perspective, realize that things were going on inside his mind, and all this beneath the surface, unrealized by the Titans. Yes, I'll take a little more time with the updating, but I'm currently writing as much as I can so I hope to bring update times back to normal. Thank you very much for understanding!

**Chrosis**:

Thank you for the review. Your childhood? How does that chapter remind you of your childhood? Lol… were you misunderstood?

**Only Forever**:

One of your favourite chapters? Wow… lol. Yes, I think you got that right, although I wouldn't say she understood what Raven did, but she did realize that for Raven to have stopped her from going after Beast Boy was a big deal and she respected that decision. Yes, you're also right about Robin hitting the self-destruct button. I'm not sure if you understood it after reading the first part of this chapter, but he obviously destructed the device _after _Beast Boy reached the hideout so that the man in black wouldn't notice the tracking device on the beast, see. Haha, don't worry, you're not freaking out! Ah, I don't think you jinxed me (at least, I hope not). It just might be a case of overwriting or something like that, or just a dry spell. But I promise to get this story done. I must, for I have others waiting. Thank you for understanding!

**Overactive Mind**:

Hmm… actually, I myself am not sure _what_ Raven's plan includes. But now that I think about it, there isn't a lot of deception. It's just that… things go wrong, and people get the wrong idea about things and I'd better stop talking if not I'll give away the whole plot. Please, by all means speculate! I'm very interested to find out what my readers think about the story.

Well, that's it! We're having our next session on…

**Next Update: October 5**


	20. Loss

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans.

**XX**

**Loss**

Cyborg launched himself with a loud yell, his human eye locked on the outline of the man in black. Anger coursed through his veins and propelled his right fist forward, aimed straight for the villain's face. He was blocked, of course. "Fool," the man smirked, as Cyborg's hand hit an invisible barrier, "don't you know that I can read minds?" Cyborg withdrew his right arm quick as a flash, and brought up his left for another punch, which was again blocked with a smirk. But this time the pleasure was all his; "Try reading my _hard drive_, creep!" He managed to get a glimpse of black pupils within widened eyes as a blast from his sonic cannon struck home before he was flung, hard in the direction of the stairs.

A blur of purple whizzed past his grey form, green starbolts almost grazing the blue and white metal as Starfire flung the balls of energy at the man in black. She heard the barely audible curse that escaped the black bandanna-covered mouth and knew that the first two starbolts had hit their mark. She sent off two more, but they came flying out of the darkness and straight towards her, forcing her to spiral up out of the way, and this was when Robin leapt forward with a blood-curdling yell.

"Back so soon? I thought you'd had enough!" the man brought up his hands to block the first few punches that Robin threw at him. Gritting his teeth, Robin lashed out a leg, hoping to catch the man off balance, but instead found himself yanked up into the air, suspended upside down like a helpless rag doll. "Disappointing, Robin," the man's eyes narrowed, his smile hidden behind the black cloth, "your friends put up better performances."

He struggled to respond, but someone else beat him to it.

"And it's going to get _even_ better."

Robin felt the grip on his foot slacken, and, pulling a last minute back flip, he landed on his feet just in time to watch a beam of black shoot out from behind him, straight into the chest of the villain.

Robin gasped, realizing that the anguished cry they were hearing was coming from the man himself.

He watched, completely aghast, as the man was slowly drawn up into the air, suspended only by the black energy beam that came from the outstretched hands of Raven. Robin looked up and saw her eyes blazing uncontrollably, white-hot in the darkness.

"You want a show," she spat furiously, "I'll give you a showdown–"

"Raven!"

The beam was cut, the man collapsed to the floor, and Raven descended next to Robin. Behind them came Cyborg and Starfire.

"What the hell did you do?" the man stammered.

"You're not the only one who reads minds. I found out about a little secret of yours that's _very_ interesting," Raven said, then, to Robin, "get him."

Robin needed no urging. He stepped forward, but as soon as he did, a silvery barrier shot up between him and the man. It shimmered weakly in the air, just visible in the darkness of the room.

"His powers are weaker," Raven said.

"I still can't break through," Robin charged at the barrier.

A reply from the man turned their attention from the barely visible barrier to the figure behind it slowly drawing himself up. "Nice, Robin, very nice. You actually did your homework."

Robin's eyes narrowed beneath his mask. "You think we'd walk in here unprepared? We know what you are, and we know there are others with your kind of powers, and we know it has its limits." Raven rose into the air again and began to chant. The silvery wall flickered slightly, but behind the barrier the man smirked.

"Well done, very well done. But there's one thing you didn't know."

A glint of green flashed in a dark corner…

"I'm a team now."

The beast leapt out from where it had stayed hidden, arched through the air and slammed into Raven, sending the two of them tumbling into the far left of the cavern-like room.

"No!" Robin yelled, and Cyborg made off in the direction of the beast, only to slam into a similar silvery barrier that completely enclosed Raven in with the animal.

"Raven!"

* * *

Raven felt the breath knocked out of her as something huge collided with her in midair and slammed her to the ground. She heard Robin shout out her name somewhere in the back of her mind, but as her back hit the hard stone floor, the pain that shot up her spine was enough to render her surroundings completely and incredibly silent for a few seconds. Then noise flooded back and she opened her eyes to find Beast Boy – no, the beast – towering over her.

"Beast Boy… snap out of it," she commanded, with more confidence in her voice than she actually felt. The beast growled, saliva dripping from its fangs. Behind it was a large silvery wall that kept out the other three Titans. On the floor, Raven could just make out the worried eyes of Starfire, the determined gaze of Cyborg and Robin, with an unreadable expression on his face.

Another growl shifted her eyes back to the beast.

"Beast Boy… the plan… Don't you remember?"

Raven rolled to the left and felt a rush of air as the beast's fist came down onto the floor where she'd been lying a few seconds ago with a bone-crunching punch. Her right arm came up to block her face, and the beast's other fist slammed into her black energy shield, which all but crushed under the impact of the blow. Raven felt herself sink further into the floor as she yelled out, "Beast Boy! Stop!"

But he wouldn't listen.

* * *

Starfire hurled herself at the barrier, but despite her immense strength it continued to hold, keeping them from what was taking place behind it.

"Raven!" Starfire cried out as Raven struggled to her feet, only to be stopped by another attack from the beast. Behind the Tamaranean, Robin and Cyborg were trying to knock down the barrier that was protecting the man in black. It seemed terribly absurd that two slightly weak walls of silvery substance were all that stood in their way. Again, Starfire pounded her fists against the barrier. It shook, but that was all. She summoned energy into her eyes, but a starblast only managed to make the barrier glow an eerie green and then return to silver again. It was no use.

As Raven dodged another swipe from the beast and was felled by its left paw, Starfire could only watch in horror from behind silver prison walls.

**o o o**

"It… won't… budge!" Cyborg's metal shoulder crashed into the barrier for the umpteenth time, but still it held. Now the man in black was smiling.

"We _will _take you down! Even if it's the last thing I do!" Robin declared, incensed.

Behind the barrier, the man spoke, "You're missing the show, Robin. Your friend is putting up a good fight, but I'm afraid she's no match for her opponent…"

And at that moment Starfire gave a heart-wrenching scream.

"Raven! Look out!"

* * *

She felt something come into contact with her back, and then the floor fell dangerously close to her face, but Raven put out her hands just in time to stop herself from getting seriously hurt. What resulted was a few seconds worth of time, during which the beast gripped her entirely in its right paw and drew her up into the air. It brought her face to face with it, and Raven found herself looking into dark green eyes brimming with unbridled rage. The beast growled, and she could feel its hot breath against her cheeks.

"I told you to trust me," Raven said hoarsely, "and this is the best you can do?"

An eternity in a second ticked past.

Then she sent a small energy disc – not enough to hurt – straight at its chest; it flung her down onto the floor, hard. Raven let out a cry as agony shot through her right knee, but she barely had time to move before she heard a distant shout, "Raven! Look out!"

She looked up, and froze.

* * *

Robin looked up.

There was Raven, on the floor, almost an unrecognizable blue bundle. Over her stood the beast – but not for long. There was nothing Robin could do but watch as the beast began to mutate, to morph. It bent its furry head down, and when it next brought it up, it had the head of a Tyrannosaurus Rex, with a humongous body to match.

"NO!" Robin yelled, and ran to the barrier, as though he could just walk right through it and push Raven away. Eyes wide, he watched as Raven made a frantic attempt to protect herself – a large black force field came up entirely over her fallen figure. Beside him, Cyborg let out a strangled yell, hoping against hope that Beast Boy would hear him, "_BB_! Don't do it!"

Robin stood motionless and silent before the wall. Something that sounded incredibly like Raven's voice rang out in his head, "Promise me you'll trust me _no matter what happens_", and he wondered if this was part of the plan at all. Robin clenched his fists.

Then, teeth clashing, reptilian eyes lit with fury, the dinosaur's green jaws came down upon the shield, breaking right through it.

* * *

_I told you to trust me. I told you… I told you… trust me… Don't you remember?_

Raven squeezed her eyes shut and summoned every fibre of her entire being into the shield that, like a safety blanket, enveloped her.

Everything turned darker than ever.

There was a roar, and then she felt the force field give way.

She watched, wide-eyed, as the jaws broke through the shield, spraying diamond light into the air.

And then, she knew.

* * *

"No! STOP!"

The three Titans could do nothing but watch helplessly as giant green jaws stole the figure of their teammate from sight.

There was a blast of black in the shape of a bird, and then the fragments of its shadow dissipated into nothingness, leaving, as the air cleared, the lone outline of a wild beast, and nothing more.

* * *

**A/N:** Overdue, overdue, overdue. A thousand apologies for this belated chapter and the **bad news** I am going to deliver to readers who have been following this story faithfully.

I hate to do this, but I'm going to have to put The Bounty and The Beast on hold for a while. I'm not sure why myself, maybe it's because I seem to have gotten stuck on writing the last chapters, and I really want them to be good. There are other factors as well, but to include them all in here would take a while. Rest assured, this story **will **end, just not yet.

I understand that in doing this I may put off quite a lot of you and you might never ever come back to read the last few chapters, so I'd just like to thank those who have come this far with me. It's been a pleasure writing this story. Once again, I stress that **I will finish this story**, just not so soon.

Thanks to those who reviewed Chapter 19. I know it seems like a while ago (because it was):

**Balkoth**

Yes, I do agree with your point about using too much of the phrases "perhaps" and "it could have been". I guess I just wanted that mysteriousness in the chapter. I must admit that one of the reasons why I'm putting this on hold is to try to capture the climatic point that marks the end of the story, but I'm afraid I haven't quite got there yet, and it worries me. In any case, thank you for having faithfully followed this story! I hope you'll be here to read the last chapters.

**Overactive Mind**

Yes, you are very, very close in your speculation about Raven's plan! Well done! Unfortunately, you'll have to wait a while for an update, but I can promise that it'll be a long chapter.

**Chrosis**

Thank you for reviewing! Even more unfortunately, should you decide not to give up on this story, the suspense just might kill you because of the long wait you'll have to get through until I upload the next chapter. Best of luck!

**acosta perez jose ramiro**

Thank you for reviewing and for having followed the story this far! And no problem, I always mention those who review!

**AureliusXsoul**

Yes, I do understand the slow torture I am putting my readers through, and I apologise even more for putting the story on hold at such a crucial moment. But sadly there is no instant cure for writer's block. (Is there?) Yes, obviously Mr. Black has intentions to use the Mind's Eye and the Impenetrable Box for Ultimate Evil (i.e. controlling other peoples' minds) and it's up to the Teen Titans to stop him. Thank you for reading and reviewing this far!

**Next Update: unavaible (the dreaded words)**


	21. Coming to Terms

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans. If I did, this story would be a movie!

**XXI**

**Coming to Terms**

The silver barrier collapsed; Robin rushed forward blindly, aiming straight for the beast. He didn't care if the beast was Beast Boy being controlled by a villain, something inside him had snapped – his mind screamed out one thing and only one thing, and it kept repeating in his head like one of Raven's chants: _I'llgetyou, I'llgetyou, I'llgetyou…_

"Robin!" Starfire called out, and flew after him, with Cyborg following close behind. Four steps were all they managed to take before a rush of white erupted on all sides and surrounded them entirely, blocking the beast from view.

"What the–" Cyborg whirled around, but almost every visible surface was filled with white, and as the white moulded into shapes and began to take the form of dozens and dozens of men in white like the one they'd first fought in the research facility, the man in black's voice was heard.

"Give it a rest. I've only taken two of your number. If you don't want to lose anymore teammates, Robin, then stop giving them away."

Robin turned to the right, left anywhere that wasn't already teeming with white men and glinting red eyes, but they kept on coming, crowding out his vision until even the faint green outline of the beast disappeared completely from sight.

"NO!"

Behind him, he felt Starfire brush against his back as the three Titans were pressed into a tight circle, an absurdly coloured bunch among cold white shapes.

"Robin?" Starfire called out, seeking permission, and out of the corner of his eye he caught a flash of a starbolt.

"Hit him with everything you've got," Robin said through clenched teeth. He drew out his fighting staff.

"My pleasure." Beside him, Cyborg readied his sonic cannon.

"Titans, GO!"

* * *

Raven landed with a thud on black sand, completely out of breath. She felt warm hands grasp her shoulders and pull her to her unsteady feet. A voice swam into hearing – "Raven… Raven, are you okay?" – and it sounded so concerned, so _familiar_ that she let herself collapse into his embrace. The beginnings of tears sprang to the corners of her eyes as her breath let itself out in a long, shaky sigh.

She felt the blood rush to her head, and a second later realized that it wasn't blood, but something closer to emotion that had gripped her mind and wouldn't let go, no matter how much she tried to clutch it, stuff it back into the cell that had been built for it. This time it would not listen, and standing there in the middle of nowhere, in Beast Boy's arms, she understood for the first time how it felt to be overrun by emotions – positive ones.

"I thought…" she began, and stopped as his eyes sought hers, finding her thoughts lost in the green depths of the windows to his soul.

"I thought you'd…"

"I would never betray you. Never. I _trust_ you."

"I…" she felt like the words had been stolen from her mouth.

"I'm glad you're here, … _Raven_."

For an instant she felt his hand slip into hers, comforting and sweet, or maybe it was she who had, in a moment of gratitude of overwhelming need, grasped his hand. But it was only a second, a fleeting, transient whisper of time, and then they were standing side by side, no longer touching.

Smiling widely, he turned to her.

"Ready to kick some shadow butt?"

She looked at him with a straight face, but her eyes were twinkling.

"Ready."

* * *

He watched as the white figures swarmed the Teen Titans, but as the energy continued to stream out from underneath his cloak, creating figure after figure, he felt the strength drain from him. Finally, when the last man was moulded from the tendrils of smoke-like substance, he stumbled backwards, and the barrier that had kept him from a possible Titan attack dissolved into thin air.

The disappearance of what had been his sole bulwark did not bother him in the least – the Titans were now surrounded by a sufficient number of obstacles for him to make his escape with relative ease.

And this was what he proceeded to do.

The man in black began to make his way towards the far side of the cavern, towards the beast, and towards the place where an opening was hidden deep in the shadows.

* * *

Green starbolts grazed a path through the white as Starfire sent the energy bolts flying at the row of figures nearest to her. This time, they seemed far less able than the first white man the Titans had fought; these white men burst into white clouds upon contact with her starbolts. Feeling empowered, she sent a few more starbolts out in front of her, and then several white men latched themselves onto her. Starfire struggled to throw them off, but more kept swarming over her until the weight was too much to bear… and then suddenly a flash of light blue evaporated a load of them from off her back.

Beside her, she caught a glimpse of Cyborg's grin before he barreled into a tower of white men, toppling them over like soft dominos. The men fell, and the half-robot Teen Titan proceeded to pick one up by the heels and swing him into a group of others, and they all subsequently burst into white smoke.

But it was Robin who was making the most progress. Driven by pure anger and sheer adrenalin, he whirled his staff through the air, slicing a row of white figures neatly in half. Robin added a few smoke bombs to the explosion of white that resulted, then dived through the smoke screen and felled a figure with a spin kick, followed by several lightning-fast moves that effectively caused the men in white to vanish. The men continued to swarm around him, but he let loose a few more bombs and a flying Birdarang that took out another row of men. The leader of the Teen Titans moved with an incredible speed, so fast that his arms and legs were coloured blurs against the backdrop of snow white. Robin continued fighting, clawing his way through the thick wall of white until finally, at long last, he broke through it and, in the darkness of the hole he'd created, he caught a glimpse – a shock of green amidst the white and black.

Robin headed straight for it.

* * *

The man gripped the rough surface of the wall and as he made his way fumbling forward, felt the hard stones scratch the palms of his hands. The pain didn't matter that much now, not when he was nearing the back of the cavern, where the doorway remained hidden in the shadows. A couple more steps brought him nearer the large skulking figure of the beast, which had been waiting for him.

"Come now," the man murmured, raising a hand to grasp the slightly damp fur, "we shall make our quick exit."

Using his powers, he reached out to the beast's mind, but this time found resistance.

"We don't have time for sulking; the Titans – "

A low growl that came from deep within the beast's throat stopped him in mid-sentence. The beast under his control had never growled at him before.

And then, quick as a flash, the beast whirled around and lunged straight for him. He felt large paws seize his shoulders and slam him into the ground; felt the hard stones scratch his back; felt the hot animal breath in his face.

"I see… it has to come to this."

With his mind he reached for the mental block once again and pushed at it, hard, but still it held, and the beast pressed its paws deeper into his shoulders, sharp claws drawing first blood.

_I'm much stronger than you think I am_, the voice of Beast Boy wormed its way into his head.

"Whatever help you've been given, it's not going to last."

_We'll see about that_.

The man tried to telekinetically move the beast out of the way, but given his limited strength, it seemed impossible.

The beast was closing in now…

Then there was an earth-shattering yell – a flash of green, yellow and red – and Robin came flying out from the fast deteriorating mass of white, charging straight towards the beast.

* * *

**A/N: **For the record, I'm not too happy with this chapter. But, I'm back. 


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